PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – No one in the NHL believed in forward Drew O'Connor. Last year the 6'3", 190 pound forward went undrafted. Pens general manager Jim Rutherford gave him a tryout, usually a long shot for any player.
An impressive training camp led him to a spot in the AHL and then over the course of the season, 10 games with the Pens, where he had an assist. O'Connor scored seven goals with 12 assists in 20 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and he had 10 points in a seven game stay in a Norwegian league.
It's late in camp in 2021 and O'Connor is still around. He scored a couple of goals in the shootout win against Buffalo Tuesday night.
"It's always good to be able to contribute offensively, but I think being reliable defensively, whether it's center or wing, and playing really strong," O'Connor said. "Just being reliable, that's the biggest thing. If it's killing penalties, that's another thing I can do. Just find ways to contribute."
Along the road of finding ways to contribute, Pens head coach Mike Sullivan is trying him out at center.
"It's been a bit of an adjustment," O'Connor said. "I'm getting more comfortable there. Ice is a little more open at center so I think that's an area that helps me a bit."
"He has the makings of being a pretty good reliable center," Sullivan said. "I think he's more comfortable on the wing. We will use him on the wing as well. We are obviously looking for options at the center position for obvious reasons having our top two centers out."
O'Connor has been a scorer most of his career. In a couple of years at Dartmouth, the 23- year-old had 38 goals and 21 assists in 65 games. Now, at least to start out his career, O'Conner needs to change his game.
"I think Drew can reinvent himself a little bit," Sullivan said. "Not just be a one-dimensional offensive player. I think he has offensive capability, which is intriguing for us. If we can help him develop a conscientious game with his size, his skating ability, his awareness, his recognition skills. He thinks the game pretty well."
Sullivan said there have been numerous high scorers in college to change their game to make it in the NHL. He can look no farther than Zach Aston-Reese, the Pens forward had 31 goals and 32 assists in 38 games his last year at Northeastern. ZAR now a bottom six forward and sometimes healthy scratch in the NHL.
"He's a guy that can be hard to play against," Sullivan said of O'Connor. "I think he can be an energy guy. He can really skate. He can get in on the forecheck. He can lean on people. He can hang onto pucks. He's got a good shot. I would envision him on this roster in a bottom six role. We are hoping he can get better on the penalty kill."
O'Connor said he's down with all of this. He changed his body and his diet in the offseason. He says he feels stronger, and gained a step with his speed.
He's working on getting on the forecheck a little more, getting to loose pucks and just playing hard.
Whatever it takes to fulfil a dream.
