2015 NHL Draft Profiles: Travis Konecny
Travis Konecny: Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
Birthplace: Mt. Brydges, ON (London)
Birthdate: March 11, 1997
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 5’10, 172 lbs.
2014-15 stats: 60GP, 29G, 39A (68 points)
Rankings: 14 (Central Scouting), 12 (International Scouting), 11 (McKeen’s)
“Like Karlsson As A Forward”
When Konecny showed up as a 16-year old to his first training camp with the Ottawa 67’s and basically made a mockery of his older teammates, it was tough to pinpoint an NHL forward that was comparable.
Then-head coach and general manager compared him to Mike Richards. He played an Ilya Kovalchuk style of game, but much of Kovalchuk’s game is predicated on his long reach and long strides, which a 5’10 Konecny can’t exactly duplicate.
But the way he stickhandles, the way he accelerates and stops-and-starts on a dime, the way the offence runs through him, he’s exactly what some Senators fans were calling for before their playoff run.
Look similar?
He’s Erik Karlsson as a forward.
The offensive side of the game has always replicated Karlsson, but this past year sealed the comparison. This was probably Karlsson’s best year in terms of physicality, a big part of Konecny’s game.
The two are equally evasive and always dangerous in the offensive zone, a powerplay with the two of them would be scary.
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Would He Be A Fit In Ottawa?
Konecny is a couple years away from being pro-ready, let alone NHL-ready, and he’s a very high-risk-high-reward pick. If he doesn’t make slight changes to his game, he won’t be nearly as effective in the NHL as he is in the OHL.
But if he’s proven anything, he can play a wide variety of systems and fit in everywhere.
Chris Byrne gave him every offensive zone start possible under his laissez-faire system during his first year and he won rookie of the year.
This season, Jeff Brown made an example of him for cherrypicking, and Konecny answered by being a dominant force at both ends of the ice. He was always out to defend leads late – something Ottawa did exceptionally well this year.
He’s a long ways away from playing in the NHL, but regardless of what personnel is in place in Ottawa by that time, if he’s back in the Nation’s Capital, he’ll find a way to fit.
The question is more whether Ottawa can reach him, his playoff performance seems to have solidified his place in the top-15, but there’s reason to believe some teams will be looking elsewhere in his range.
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*Photo courtesy of Valerie Wutti*