Kyle Connor has quietly been one of the best scorers in the NHL over the past several years. Since the Winnipeg Jets winger became a full-time player in 2017-18, his 220 goals are sixth-most in the league.
Perhaps the reason Connor’s contributions have gone largely unnoticed is because he has not hit the 50-goal mark. He came close in 2021-22, scoring 47 goals in 79 games and finishing tied for fifth in that category. (The five players ahead of Connor since 2017-18 — Auston Matthews, Alex Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak — all have at least one 50-goal season over that span.)
Connor is on pace to join them this season. His 13 goals in 15 games are tied with Matthews, Brock Boeser and Sam Reinhart for the league lead. Ilya Kovalchuk is the last (and only) Jets/Thrashers player to score 50 goals, most recently in 2007-08.
Throughout his career, Connor has been an offence-generating machine, but he has kicked it up a notch to start this season.
When the puck lands on Connor’s stick, there is little doubt about what he is going to do with it. The most dependable tool in Connor’s kit is his one-timer, which has accounted for five goals and 32.7 per cent of his total shot attempts (36 of 110). The latter ranks 12th out of 380 forwards who have played at least 100 minutes in all situations.
In addition to that, Connor is highly adept at finding soft spots in the most dangerous sections of the ice. His 3.93 pass receptions per game in the slot are second most among qualified forwards behind Matthews (4.2). Eight of Connor’s goals have come from the slot.
“He’s so deceptive with his release that he can get his shot off in such little time and (with) such little space,” Jets captain Adam Lowry told the Winnipeg Free Press. “He can create these chances out of ordinary plays.”
Connor, who has seven goals in his past four games, has credited linemate Mark Scheifele for his scoring outburst. Scheifele’s playmaking prowess has been on full display this season, ranking tied for 10th in completed slot passes per game. Ten of Scheifele’s 13 assists are primary, half of which have directly led to Connor goals.
“Being with (Connor) for a long time, you know when he’s ready (for the pass), when he’s locked and loaded, and how quick he can get it off,” Scheifele told reporters. “Even when there’s not a great pass, he’s able to control it in a way that not a lot of guys are able to and get off a great shot.”
There is reason to believe that Connor can keep up this pace or something close to it over a full season. If he does, he finally will receive his due as one of the top scorers in the league.
All stats via Sportlogiq
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