Player Discussion: Kyle Connor

[TheGovernment]

KC constantly gives up on board plays. Just watch him, he will absolutely never go into a corner to take/give a hit. He ALWAYS lets the other player in first. It’s kind of infuriating lol.

 

[portamoral]

yea he's pretty brutal in his own end. not sure how a guy so talented, so fast, so smart with such quick reflexes can be this lost defensively. he looks terrified of contact or something

you'd think he could get on pucks first and outsmart opponents to break out properly or shut down plays/recover the puck or at the very least get the puck out of the zone but he seems to fail more times than not

 

[WolfHouse]

Is this a Laine thread?

 

[Vapaatunnus]

Is this a Laine thread?

I had a same feeling

 

[JetsFan815]

LOL I knew KC would finally start taking heat when Laine was traded.

Yeah he needs to better, right now he's pretty much Phil Kessel. Phil Kessel is a good player to have... Phil Kessel was a key player in multi-cup winning teams. But it could take the Jets to another level if he just became a moderately better defensive player. I do agree that it often seems like he is trying to avoid getting hit, I am not sure if that's really the case or not... that's just what it looks like.

 

[PhilJets]

KC and with Laine will always offset their defensive deficiancies with their offense.

Not many 35 plus goal scorers are really good defensively.

But ofcourse they can still improve.

Connor is a quick strike player similar to Laine.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

But Maurice said he is bettter than Ehlers defensively!

 

[Trinity]

Is Connor the new whipping boy with Laine gone?

 

[Halberdier]

Is Connor the new whipping boy with Laine gone?

Seems to be. Funny that Wheeler doesn't get the heat that much.

I personally hate that whipping boy thing. It's much better to rave about how well Ehlers played than pile crap on Connor. Esp. when he gets soon all the praise as he scores. Both the pile of crap and the overhype are almost as unwarranted.

Connor has been consistently the worst TOP-6 player for the Jets defensively for all the seasons he has been with the Jets. But in the same time, he is generating offence a lot. He should not play with a pair like Scheifele & Wheeler as he used to be, but he should be paired with an excellent 2-way center and a defensively responsible other winger. That's the recipe to get most of him while not hurting the team.

 

[RustyCat]

Ah, here is our latest whipping boy. Thank god because we had several days without one and I was getting concerned.

 

[Jack722]

It looks to me like always makes it look like he's doing something but he's never quite involved in the play enough to risk actually getting hit.

Obviously a super talented player but I don't know, maybe he could use some coaching or something. Anyone know any coaches?

 

[Kaako Kappo]

It looks to me like always makes it look like he's doing something but he's never quite involved in the play enough to risk actually getting hit.

Obviously a super talented player but I don't know, maybe he could use some coaching or something. Anyone know any coaches?

Or just let him play like he does. Everyone doesn't need to be the same.

 

[boanst]

Or just let him play like he does. Everyone doesn't need to be the same.

Everyone needs to be effective, doesnt matter what it looks like.

 

[Muikea Bulju]

Connor & Wheeler have been awful in their end this season, despite getting favourable zone starts!

Scheifele has not been great either, but not quite as bad as those two

When will Maurice hold them accountable? Last year the same, despite 59% zs%

-bad GF%
-bad SF%
-bad xGF%

The stats are 5 on 5

Wheeler ... 65% ZS%, and 21,05 GF%, and 35,62% xGF% .... that is just pathetic

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

Can we get all the comments from the now closed Connor thread moved over here please?

 

[Duke749]

Connor & Wheeler have been awful in their end this season, despite getting favourable zone starts!

Scheifele has not been great either, but not quite as bad as those two

When will Maurice hold them accountable? Last year the same, despite 59% zs%

-bad GF%
-bad SF%
-bad xGF%

View attachment 394774 View attachment 394775

The stats are 5 on 5

Wheeler ... 65% ZS%, and 21,05 GF%, and 35,62% xGF% .... that is just pathetic

Well it’s not like they’re playing heavy minutes at 5on5 right now. What, you want them benched or something? Not sure what that’ll accomplish when neither have ever been known for their defense. Connor doesn’t read the game defensively in a way that can make him reliable in his own zone.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Well it’s not like they’re playing heavy minutes at 5on5 right now. What, you want them benched or something? Not sure what that’ll accomplish when neither have ever been known for their defense. Connor doesn’t read the game defensively in a way that can make him reliable in his own zone.

Kyle isn’t the first offensive dynamo that needed to be sheltered. Will be interesting to see if his numbers improve with Appleton and Dubois.

 

[Muikea Bulju]

Well it’s not like they’re playing heavy minutes at 5on5 right now. What, you want them benched or something? Not sure what that’ll accomplish when neither have ever been known for their defense. Connor doesn’t read the game defensively in a way that can make him reliable in his own zone.

Well, Maurice went on for years about trying to make Laine play a two-way-game, now that Connor+Wheeler have been worse than him last season, and the absolute worst this season, maybe he should call them out on the media, or something like that?

Or is the Captain somehow beyond all criticism? 65% ZS%, that's getting close to being a sheltered one-trick-pony

 

[Adam da bomb]

Well, Maurice went on for years about trying to make Laine play a two-way-game, now that Connor+Wheeler have been worse than him last season, and the absolute worst this season, maybe he should call them out on the media, or something like that?

Or is the Captain somehow beyond all criticism? 65% ZS%, that's getting close to being a sheltered one-trick-pony

And Maurice never succeeded in making Laine a two way player.

 

[WolfHouse]

And Maurice never succeeded in making Laine a two way player.

But he did succeed with Ehlers...

 

[Adam da bomb]

But he did succeed with Ehlers...

Wasn’t Ehlers always a two way player?

 

[Gabe Kupari]

And Maurice never succeeded in making Laine a two way player.

The drama in Columbus suggests that's on the player.

 

[Duke749]

I doubt many people could teach Ehlers some of the things he does. He reads the game at a very elite level.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

And Maurice never succeeded in making Laine a two way player.

It was a work in progress. Both coach and player were working toward an improved defensive game. He ran out of time. I expect Torts to continue that work, and for Laine to continue to improve.

Has Connor showed any improvement? Will putting him with better defensive players overcome his deficiencies, or will Connor just drag down his line mates' stats? I tend to think a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

 

[Gabe Kupari]

Wheeler is what he is. Not changing now. Connor tho could show some effort in the D zone. He's young enough to still learn but Maurice don't coach him 55 or 26.