Prospect Info: The 2024 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[McMetal]

What did Connelly do? I haven't paid attention to a lot of the secondary stuff so I am not sure if he is a Miller scumbag or a Wolski beater.

He posted a picture of him and his friend next to a swastika (I believe) on Snapchat. And there were allegations about him using abusive racial slurs, although those never went anywhere. It's kind of hard to tell from the outside whether this was just teenage edgelord BS or if it's a much deeper problem. Teenagers are, as a rule, dumb as hell, so it's possible he was just being a moron. I don't think what's publicly out there about him is in the same galaxy as Mitchell Miller's disturbing and long running cruelty to that other kid.

He also does seem to be making a wholehearted effort to reform his image, unlike Miller who tried to do the bare minimum to make it go away. Like I said, it's hard to tell without doing things like talking to his coaches and teammates and stuff, I only know what I read. But to me it seems like there's a stark contrast between Connelly and Miller.

 

[95snipes]

The swastika thing, as dumb as it was, I can look past. It cost him a spot on NTDP and very possibly cost him a U16 tier 1 national championship. People can make up their own minds, but to me he's already paid the price for that one. I also don't run an NHL organization and need to worry about my org's image.

The bigger issue for me is looking forward, is he going to be a problem for your locker room and by extension, your organization? Are we looking at another Evander Kane here? Katie Strang (regardless of your thoughts on her) from the athletic, put out a fairly detailed piece diving into Connelly's history going back to youth hockey. If you didn't see the article, the gist of it was that he bounced around 6 different youth programs in 4 years. That's much more concerning.

As far as I know, there haven't been any problems in Tri City. That's where NHL teams will need to do their homework. You hope Connelly's issues are firmly in the past, but then again, Tri City is the same org that rostered Mitchell Miller.

On the ice, it's been mentioned, but he's a top talent in the draft. Powerful skater, very good top speed that can put defenders on their heels. Nice set of hands and can walk right around defenders and beat 2 or 3 guys at a time off the rush. Highlight reel stuff. He's got great vision, can thread the needle and find guys backdoor. Great at making himself dangerous, drawing attention, and finding a teammate. He's as puck dominant of a winger as you will see and at his best he is a dominant force. NHL comp think of a winger version of Matt Barzal. At lower levels (Hlinka, world jr A), he was the best player on the ice and could take a game over. In the USHL, he's been a bit more hit or miss. His best is more of the same where he can take a game over, but there are games where his style doesn't work and he's a turnover machine that kills the play. He's clearly very competitive and hothead might be too strong of a word, but there are times where he can be visibly frustrated after taking a big hit, etc. You just want him to channel that energy in a positive way as he matures.

As an NHL prospect, I do think he'll need to make some adjustments to his game, he won't be able to play like he's Connor McDavid, but the skillset is there to be an impactful player.

 

[henchman21]

I don't think it is appropriate to outright rule against what as kid did when they were young. Dumb mistakes happen and it is a part of growing up. That said, Connelly has major questions around him and all teams are doing heavy research to figure out who he is. The snapchat is only part of the story. On the ice it is clear he's a top talent in this draft.

He posted a picture of him and his friend next to a swastika (I believe) on Snapchat. And there were allegations about him using abusive racial slurs, although those never went anywhere. It's kind of hard to tell from the outside whether this was just teenage edgelord BS or if it's a much deeper problem. Teenagers are, as a rule, dumb as hell, so it's possible he was just being a moron. I don't think what's publicly out there about him is in the same galaxy as Mitchell Miller's disturbing and long running cruelty to that other kid.

He also does seem to be making a wholehearted effort to reform his image, unlike Miller who tried to do the bare minimum to make it go away. Like I said, it's hard to tell without doing things like talking to his coaches and teammates and stuff, I only know what I read. But to me it seems like there's a stark contrast between Connelly and Miller.

Don't mistake wholehearted for crafted PR. His camp has seen what has happened with Miller and is working to get out in front of it to keep the same thing from happening to him.

 

[McMetal]

Don't mistake wholehearted for crafted PR. His camp has seen what has happened with Miller and is working to get out in front of it to keep the same thing from happening to him.

Oh I'm definitely not ruling that out. Like I said, it SEEMS genuine, but I don't have the kind of inside knowledge from people around him that NHL teams who are doing their homework do. This is just my impression from reading about him, but sadly it's true that some terrible people are just good at saying the right things in public without changing who they are.

 

[Pokecheque]

Connelly's behavior is concerning, no doubt, but it should not outlaw him from professional hockey. Not the same situation as Mitchell Miller, that's for sure.

Should be noted once again that Miller had an insanely easy path to redemption, and he (and his family) went out his way not to take it.

 

[Hasbro]

My picks from a mock:

26. Colorado Avalanche: Emil Hemming, RW, TPS (Liiga)
123. Colorado Avalanche: Andrey Krutov, LW, Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)
142. Colorado Avalanche: Jan Spunar, G, Portland (WHL)
187. Colorado Avalanche: Diego Buttazzoni, C, Portland (WHL)
214. Colorado Avalanche: Trent Swick, LW, Kitchener (OHL)
219. Colorado Avalanche: David Green, LHD, St. Michael's (OJHL)

 

[McMetal]

Connelly's behavior is concerning, no doubt, but it should not outlaw him from professional hockey. Not the same situation as Mitchell Miller, that's for sure.

Should be noted once again that Miller had an insanely easy path to redemption, and he (and his family) went out his way not to take it.

To this day, I truly don't think Miller believes he ever did anything wrong. In his mind, he is the victim of the story.

 

[Vaslof]

Connelly's behavior is concerning, no doubt, but it should not outlaw him from professional hockey. Not the same situation as Mitchell Miller, that's for sure.

Should be noted once again that Miller had an insanely easy path to redemption, and he (and his family) went out his way not to take it.

Being a nazi is usually enough to get you fired from your job, I'm sure it's enough to bar him from the NHL.

Kids can do dumb shit yeah and you should be forgiving and allow redemption, but if it's only been 1-2 years it would be surprising for someone to change their mindset so quick.

 

[Hasbro]

Being a nazi is usually enough to get you fired from your job, I'm sure it's enough to bar him from the NHL.

Kids can do dumb shit yeah and you should be forgiving and allow redemption, but if it's only been 1-2 years it would be surprising for someone to change their mindset so quick.

I'm sure North Dakota was hot to recruit him.

It sounds like he knows he has to serve a penance and knows just saying that it was a mistake is not sufficient.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Being a nazi is usually enough to get you fired from your job, I'm sure it's enough to bar him from the NHL.

Kids can do dumb shit yeah and you should be forgiving and allow redemption, but if it's only been 1-2 years it would be surprising for someone to change their mindset so quick.

I don’t think the kids a Nazi. I’m guessing the kid took the picture thinking it was “edgy and funny” because kids say and do stupid shit. Doesn’t excuse it and it sounds like it’s cost him some opportunities throughout his junior career, as it should. But I would think it’s important to find out if it’s just a kid doing stupid shit, or if there’s some deeper problems he has.

 

[BobRossColton]

What if he was just supporting the Finnish version of the swastika?

 

[henchman21]

I firmly believe you shouldn't condemn kids forever and you need to give chances... it would also be a mistake to expect it to be a quiet draft pick. The whole story is going to be about him being a shithead Nazi regardless of what the truth actually is... and the internet will run with it. A team has to be willing to embrace a PR battle.

 

[Pokecheque]

Being a nazi is usually enough to get you fired from your job, I'm sure it's enough to bar him from the NHL.

Kids can do dumb shit yeah and you should be forgiving and allow redemption, but if it's only been 1-2 years it would be surprising for someone to change their mindset so quick.

I don’t think happily posing next to a swastika automatically makes you a Nazi, it does likely mean you’re an idiot though. He (and his team) at least appear to be putting in the effort to try and acknowledge the severity of the issue and make amends. Still a gigantic red flag but I’m not on board with banning him outright. If he f***s up on that level again, yes. But not yet.

I remember when two of my classmates dressed as Nazi soldiers (they did not wear swastikas though) to school. This was years before the Columbine shooting, obviously that would never be allowed now. One of them I’d find out later was a right-wing nutjob. We got into it online about gun laws and he blocked me a few years back. The other is definitely not, just your usual punk-ass. I’m still in contact with him and I’m reasonably confident he would not allow his two sons to do what he did in high school, especially that.

 

[McMetal]

I firmly believe you shouldn't condemn kids forever and you need to give chances... it would also be a mistake to expect it to be a quiet draft pick. The whole story is going to be about him being a shithead Nazi regardless of what the truth actually is... and the internet will run with it. A team has to be willing to embrace a PR battle.

Well, yeah, there are some sections of the internet that don't do the whole nuance thing and will get agitated about it. I think redemption needs to be offered to those who seek it, though. I am all for shunning people who embrace antisocial ideologies, but there should be an escape hatch for them, too. If you don't give people like that the chance to rehabilitate themselves, they will just feel like they have no choice but to double down.

 

[henchman21]

Well, yeah, there are some sections of the internet that don't do the whole nuance thing and will get agitated about it. I think redemption needs to be offered to those who seek it, though. I am all for shunning people who embrace antisocial ideologies, but there should be an escape hatch for them, too. If you don't give people like that the chance to rehabilitate themselves, they will just feel like they have no choice but to double down.

Yup… if you give people no path out, you shouldn’t be shocked if they choose to continue the shitty path. Forgiveness and redemption are good things, not bad. That doesn’t mean hand them out left and right… but give it a chance and give more chances than you should just to be sure. My family has dealt with various personal issues where if you gave up early, some great people would have been lost in the world. Some people get it at 15 some take until 40. It is never too late to get a life back on track. That doesn't mean absolve everything or not consequences, but getting things right at 30-35 is still way better than it never being right.

I was a complete shithead (even more than now) until my early to mid 20s. I was an asshole who partied and drank too much. In many ways the typical jock. Did stupid shit and was not great to a lot of people. When my abilities and status went away via injury, I didn’t cope with it well for a couple years. Once I found my new self and direction, I slowly realized how stupid I was and some of the people I surround myself with were simply not healthy. I’ve worked to make amends and build relationships with those that I wronged and could still be in touch with. To some, I’ll always be that asshole because that’s just what they know. I accept that. I’m just not the same person I was at 18/19… I’d hope all of us who are older can say the same.

I always hesitate on posting this type of shit because doxxing is a reality we have to live with, but it really should be normal and okay to make mistakes and learn from them. I know I made plenty, and while I may not have always been a good person as a kid... I learned from those mistakes and today, I work pretty hard to be a decent human being. Now some mistakes are worse than others and certainly deserves scorn and consequences, but we should embrace growth, not shun it.

 

[Pokecheque]

I feel this is related, but you may disagree.

A popular indie comics creator (Ed Piskor was his name if you wish to look him up) and YouTuber was recently accused of grooming behaviors with a then-17-year-old girl on social media. He subsequently had a show in his hometown of Pittsburgh canceled and his longtime YouTube collaborator publicly cut ties with him, and a lot of keyboard warriors sprang on him immediately. He killed himself two days ago.

His actions were not illegal per se, but they were most definitely wrong. However I'm very uncomfortable with how quickly the court of public opinion was so quick to lay down punishment. I'm all for giving people a path to redemption, I only really condemn those who refuse to take it. I view the public discourse in hockey circles with this kid in a similar light.

 

[Vaslof]

I feel this is related, but you may disagree.

A popular indie comics creator (Ed Piskor was his name if you wish to look him up) and YouTuber was recently accused of grooming behaviors with a then-17-year-old girl on social media. He subsequently had a show in his hometown of Pittsburgh canceled and his longtime YouTube collaborator publicly cut ties with him, and a lot of keyboard warriors sprang on him immediately. He killed himself two days ago.

His actions were not illegal per se, but they were most definitely wrong. However I'm very uncomfortable with how quickly the court of public opinion was so quick to lay down punishment. I'm all for giving people a path to redemption, I only really condemn those who refuse to take it. I view the public discourse in hockey circles with this kid in a similar light.

That guy took the easy way out when he was found out. I don't really wish death on anyone. It was his decision and his alone, not the fault of his victims or the people who didn't want to associate with him anymore.

 

[henchman21]

That guy took the easy way out when he was found out. I don't really wish death on anyone. It was his decision and his alone, not the fault of his victims or the people who didn't want to associate with him anymore.

It is awfully simplistic to categorize suicide as the easy way out. I don't know this story and I don't really care to go in-depth on it... but suicide is never a simple or easy thing.

 

[Pokecheque]

That guy took the easy way out when he was found out. I don't really wish death on anyone. It was his decision and his alone, not the fault of his victims or the people who didn't want to associate with him anymore.

I sure hope you never have a family member or loved one take their own life, I don't think you'll call it "the easy way out" if it happens.

 

[Vaslof]

I sure hope you never have a family member or loved one take their own life, I don't think you'll call it "the easy way out" if it happens.

That's not my thinking, I'm not suicidal. Many criminals will take themselves out rather than end up in jail. It's the easy way out because they don't have to face the consequences of their actions. Not just physical, but also the mental. It's really not the same thing like your loved one having depression.

 

[Vaslof]

This is definitely veering off topic so let's leave it at that. Sorry if anyone's feelings were hurt, that was not the intention.

 

[Pokecheque]

This is definitely veering off topic so let's leave it at that. Sorry if anyone's feelings were hurt, that was not the intention.

Yeah you definitely missed the point there, but I'm also going to apologize if what I posted derailed what appears to be a good discussion about second chances and what not.

 

[henchman21]

The CHL is looking set to lose a lot of talent to the USHL in this draft. When the NIL rules change around foreign citizens (takes a visa change federally in the US)... the flood gates are really going to open. CHL has to change or it'll really suffer a talent exodus.

 

[Pokecheque]

It'd be nice for Celebrini if he ends up in San Jose, his old man will be just down the street working for the Golden State Warriors.

 

[S E P H]

Yeah, Zeev has to be the Landeskog of this draft in terms of being the biggest riser out of nowhere and earning it (though both started the season as low second-rounders on some lists). Had a ridiculous game today in the finals, and I could see a team absolutely love him in the top 5-7. Not sure if he has top 5 talent, but at this point, you can't really say no. He's been on an upward trajectory ever since 2024.