Recently, I hit the one-year mark at FlamesNation, Jan. 8 to be exact. The first article I ever wrote for the site was one of my favourites, where I ranked all the players named Connor. Their name just had to be Connor adjacent, whether it’s spelled with one “n”, their last name is Connor or even the two O’Connors.

Overall, we looked at 17 Con(n)ors, this time, we have two more Connors who have played National Hockey League games this season.

Let’s rank them!

19. Connor Carrick

Last January’s ranking: 17

Like last season, Connor Carrick hasn’t played an NHL game, but has played 242 games in the 10 seasons he played at the level. Overall, he has 13 goals and 50 points in his National Hockey League career but it could be a while before he returns as he plays for the Edmonton Oilers’ American Hockey League team.

With the Bakersfield Condors, the right-shot defenceman has seven goals and 19 points, three shy of matching the career-high he’s hit twice in the AHL. Time will tell if he returns to the NHL, but he hasn’t played more than two games in a season since 2020-21.

18. Connor Mackey

Last January’s ranking: N/R

Nearly two weeks after the first ranking was released, former Calgary Flame Connor Mackey played his first and only game in the NHL in 2023-24, picking up a fight and a +1 in the New York Rangers 7-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Mackey, who played 19 games with the Flames from 2020-21 until 2022-23, has played two games this season in the NHL, picking up a fight. With the Rangers’ AHL team, the 28-year-old left-shot defenceman has two goals and nine points in 33 games.

17. Conor Sheary

Last January’s ranking: 6

In my last ranking, Conor Sheary’s two Stanley Cups weighed heavily on his spot, as I gave him the sixth spot. Overall, he scored four goals and 15 points in 57 games and had a 37-point season the year before.

This season, Sheary has only played four games for the Tampa Bay Lightning, spending most of his season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch where he has eight goals and 21 points in 25 games. However, due to the fact he’s currently in the AHL, the left winger has the biggest drop of any player on the list.

16. Connor Dewar

Last January’s ranking: 15

Last season, Dewar ranked 15th on my list, so a minor drop for the 25-year-old centre. He scored a career-high 11 goals and 19 points in 74 games with the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs, being traded before the trade deadline. Dewar picked up an assist in six post-season games for the Leafs.

It’s been a tough season for the third-rounder, picking up just three assists in 28 games this season. Two funny things: Dewar’s only penalty minutes this season came to a fight. Moreover, Connor Brown ranked 16th last season and had three points in 28 games. This was not intentional.

15. Connor Ingram

Last January’s ranking: 9

Three things are certain in life, death, taxes, goalies being volatile. Last season, Connor Ingram had a .907 save percentage and a 2.91 goals against average in 50 games for the Arizona Coyotes. At the time of last January’s article, Ingram had a .916 save percentage at the time of the last ranking.

It hasn’t been a great season for the 27-year-old netminder, as he has an .877 save percentage and a 3.49 goals against average as the Coyotes have become the Utah Hockey Club. Ingram is serving as the backup to Karel Vejmelka.

14. Logan O’Connor

Last January’s ranking: 11

Last season, Logan O’Connor finished with 13 goals and 25 points, the former was a career-high. He was held pointless in the seven games he played in the post-season, but he has put together 24, 26, and 25-point seasons the past three seasons coming into 2024-25.

So far this year, he has six goals and 14 points in 46 games. It’s not the same pace he had last season, but he’s on pace for 10 goals and 24 points, his career-norm. Consistent, you could say.

13. Conor Timmins

Last January’s ranking: 13

Last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, right-shot defenceman Conor Timmins had a goal and 10 points in 25 games after career-year in 2022-23 when he scored two goals and 14 points.

In 2024-25, the 26-year-old has already played a career-high games with 39, scoring a goal and seven points in that time. Last season, he ranked 13th and he hasn’t done anything to move up or down the list.

12. Connor Clifton

Last January’s ranking: 10

On Jan. 8, 2024, Clifton had no goals and 10 assists in 36 games played with the Buffalo Sabres. However, he finished with four goals and 18 points in 79 games, his second-best season beside his 2022-23 season where he had five goals and 23 points in 78 games.

So far this season with the Buffalo Sabres, he has eight points in 42 games. With that being said, he’s a +5 on the season, tied for the third-best on the team.

11. Drew O’Connor

Last January’s ranking: 14

Last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Drew O’Connor shattered his career-best totals, managing 16 goals and 33 points in 79 games. His goal total in 2023-24 still accounts for more than half his career totals, while he has 66 points.

So far this season, the 26-year-old winger has six goals and 16 points in 46 games. Like many Eastern Conference teams, the Penguins are in the thick of things as they have 44 points, five back of the final Wild Card team.

10. Connor Brown

Last January’s ranking: 16

As mentioned earlier in the article, by the time Jan. 8 rolled around, Connor Brown had yet to score his first goal as an Oilers in 28 games, managing a measly three assists. Well, the second half of the season went better for Brown, as he finished with four goals and 12 points in 71 games, along with two goals and six points in 19 post-season games.

There hasn’t been a slump this season, as the 31-year-old winger has six goals and 19 points in 45 games, settling into a nice bottom-six role with the Oilers. He’s even got a look with Connor McDavid on the top line.

9. Connor Murphy

Last January’s ranking: 7

Right-shot defenceman Connor Murphy has been in the league since 2013-14, but has played nine post-season games, and that was only because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, he scored two goals and eight points, his lowest total since the 2014-15 season.

Well, Murphy is off to a much better season with the Blackhawks, scoring a goal and 13 points in 38 games and is only a -4, the best mark he’s had since the 2020-21 season. However, it’ll be another post-season-less season for the 31-year-old as the Blackhawks are terrible. Barring a trade, of course.

8. Conor Geekie

Last January’s ranking: N/R

Last season, Conor Geekie wasn’t ranked as he was in the Western Hockey League with the Wenatchee Wild and the Swift Current Broncos, scoring 43 goals and 99 points in 55 games. However, the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Utah Hockey Club in the Mikhail Sergachev trade.

So far in his NHL career, Geekie has six goals and 12 points in 41 games. Among rookie skaters, his 12 points rank 14th while his six goals rank tied for 10th.

7. Conor Garland

Last January’s ranking: 5

Conor Garland has consistently produced in the NHL, scoring 114 goals and 272 points in 448 games. Last season was one of his better seasons, scoring 20 goals and 47 points, the second-most in both categories.

This season for the dysfunctional Vancouver Canucks, he has 11 goals and 31 points in 44 games. His point total leads all forwards on the Canucks, behind just Quinn Hughes for team scoring.

6. Connor Zary

Last January’s ranking: 8

The player we’ve all been waiting for is Calgary Flames’ Connor Zary. Last season, the 23-year-old finished with 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games. That was good enough for 10th in team points and sixth in team goals.

So far in 2024-25, the 24th overall pick in the 2020 draft has 10 goals and 22 points in 40 games, although he is currently out due to a knee injury. If he were able to play the full 82-game season, he’d be on pace for 20 goals and 45 points.

5. Connor McMichael

Last January’s ranking:12

The biggest bump for any player from last year’s rankings is Connor McMichael. Selected 25th overall in the 2019 draft by the Washington Capitals, the 24-year-old is a good example of some prospects that take longer to develop. Last season, he scored a career-high 18 goals and 33 points in 80 games.

Well, he’s going to blow by those numbers soon, as the centre has 17 goals and 32 points in 45 games. It helps that the Capitals have had a shocking season where they have a 30-10-5 record, with their 65 points being at the top of the league.

4. Kyle Connor

Last January’s ranking: 3

Spoiler alert: The top four is the same as last season, with the only change being Kyle Connor moving back a spot. Last season, the winger finished with 34 goals and 61 points in 65 games. Mr. Two First Names posted a career-high 47 goals and 93 points in 79 games during the 2021-22 season.

Well, Connor has managed to score 26 goals and 60 points in 46 games this season. The 28-year-old is on pace for a similar season to his 2021-22, as he’s on pace for 46 goals and 106 points this season. It’s worth mentioning that the Winnipeg Jets are tied with the Washington Capitals for the most points in the league.

3. Connor Bedard

Last January’s ranking: 4

The jury is still out whether or not Connor Bedard is a generational talent, but he’s sure as heck a great player. In his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks, he scored 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy.

It’s been a similar season for the 19-year-old centre, as he has 13 goals and 40 points in 45 games. Bedard is on pace to break his career high, as over an 82-game season he’s on pace for 23 goals and 72 points. Unlike Connor McDavid, Bedard doesn’t have the benefit of a late-rebuild team.

2. Connor Hellebuyck

Last January’s ranking: 2

Connor Hellebuyck isn’t just the best goaltender named Connor, but he’s simply the best netminder in the league. Last season, he finished the year with a .921 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against average in 60 games played as the Winnipeg Jets were bounced in the first round. He won his second Vezina Trophy and his first William M. Jennings Trophy that season.

Somehow, the 31-year-old has improved his numbers this season, as the netminder has a .929 save percentage and a 1.97 goals against average in 36 games played. Hellebuyck has been the catalyst for the Jets’ success and the clear mid-season Vezina Trophy winner.

1. Connor McDavid

Last January’s ranking: 1

Was it ever in question? Connor McDavid may go down as the best player to ever lace up skates, as he finished with 32 goals and 132 points in 76 games last season. He became the fourth player to reach 100 assists in one season. Moreover, his eight goals and 42 points in 25 post-season games led to him being the sixth player to be named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner on the losing team.

For his standards, it’s been a quiet season, as the 28-year-old has 20 goals and 64 points in 42 games. Over an 82-game season, McDavid is on pace for 39 goals and 124 points, but we all know he can turn it up whenever he feels like it.

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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