2020 NHL Draft prospect profile: Connor Zary scouting report

Connor Zary could be one of the best players picked in the 2020 NHL Draft.

The 2020 NHL Draft is shaping up to be one of the deepest in years. It might even be comparable to the 2003 NHL Draft. A huge reason for this is the large amount of impressive players after the best ones. Connor Zary is one of the most offensively gifted players in that tier.

He has averaged over a point per game in each of his last two seasons. Though Zary’s one of the oldest prospects in the draft, he’s also one of the most gifted. There’s no reason to think he won’t be one of the first 25 names called at the draft whenever it is held.

Prospect Profile

Height: 6’0″
Weight: 181 pounds
Teams: Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Country: Canada
Position: Center
Handedness: Left-handed
Date of birth: September 25, 2001

All profile information is courtesy of Elite Prospects

Rankings (As Of June 22)

• 16th by HockeyProspect.com
• 15th by ISS Hockey
• 18th by McKeen’s Hockey
• 13th by Future Considerations
• 25th by Elite Prospects
• 15th by Central Scouting (among North American skaters)
• 21st by Dobber Prospects

Strengths

Zary does a lot of things well. He really stands out to me as someone who can be effective in all three zones. His scoring probably gets most of the attention, but don’t overlook his strong positional play and his well-rounded game.

Going into this season, I had some questions about Zary’s defense. He shut me up by emerging as one of the WHL’s best penalty killers. It’s clear Zary made it a point to work on his defense and this makes him one of the most well-rounded centers in the draft.

He’s also a very hard worker. You can’t teach character and Zary has it in bunches. It’s hard for me to give much credence to intangibles because they’re not measurable, but Zary’s intangibles are outstanding. He’s a great leader and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a future alternate captain or captain.

Weaknesses

The problem with being a jack of all trades is it can lead to being a master of none. This sums up Zary’s game, as he has no truly elite skill. His skating is average. It’s not elite, or even great. Zary’s shot is impressive, but I’d barely rank it in the top 10 of this class. He’s not a standout playmaker either.

I wouldn’t be shocked if this caused Zary to fall. If I were drafting in the top 15, I’d want to draft someone who is at least great at something. And I don’t think Zary is great at anything. I think he’s really good at several things and good at many things. But Zary’s not great at anything tangible.

My biggest concern with his game is his skating. He’s average at best, which is a bit alarming. Zary’s going to have to make some huge improvements there. But it’s worth noting his work ethic is great, so maybe he can fix his skating. That said, it’s clear skating’s always going to be something that holds him back a bit.

Highlights

Final Thoughts

If you’re strictly talking about a player’s floor, Zary is one of the best players in the draft. I’m quite confident he’ll be an NHL player. However, it’s fair to question how high his ceiling is. He’s one of the oldest players in the draft, which means he’s got less room to grow than others. And yes, that extra year of development is critical.

Zary reminds me of Lars Eller. He’s not going to beat you out on his skill or his speed. However, he’s going to outwork most players and he has enough skill to chip in on a fairly consistent basis. On a good team, I see him as a top-nine forward. If he improves on offense, I could see him as a top-six forward.