Connor Kurth, an overaged player in this draft class, is a skilled forward that generates a lot of offensive chances for his team. His shot is his best weapon offensively, as he’s a strong kid which allows him to generate a lot of power behind his shot. Add in a quick release and solid accuracy and you get a dangerous sniper who can score at will when he’s all alone in the slot. The other calling card of his game is his tenacity on the forecheck. He’s a hound on the puck and causes a lot of issues for opposing puck-carriers when they’re trying to create separation from him. When he wants to, he can be a physical force on the ice. If he gets going at full speed and uses his frame to drive the center lane, he’s virtually unstoppable at the USHL level. One of the issues with him has been his willingness to do a lot of these things on a regular basis. The other area of concern for him is his defensive game, particularly his involvement in his own zone. He has decent positional instincts but can be a pedestrian a little too often in the defensive end. If he were to become a more consistent power forward, it would add another dimension to his game and make him more dangerous as he reaches higher levels of hockey. He has the upside to be a middle-six power forward if he shows willingness to live in the net-front and the high slot areas, and could have a role on a power play unit because of his size and skillset. But he needs to show that consistency to be painted with such upside, otherwise he’s going to fall short of the flashes of potential he’s shown. He was passed over in his true draft year, but after his impressive USHL season, it’s hard to imagine that he slips through the entire draft this time around.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide