| Stas Pavlov. 6th July, 2011 - 8:00 pm
 With their pitch to Brad Richards unsuccessful, the Maple Leafs did not waste any time in snatching the second best center on the market in Tim Connolly. The 30-year-old pivot comes in with the expectation to hold post on the first line and set up Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul in their favorite spots on the ice. To do that, Connolly will make $9.5M over the next two seasons.
Connolly is a 10-year NHL veteran and has amassed 395 career points (118-227-395) in 627 games with the New York Islands and Buffalo Sabres. In addition, he has posted a 5-18-23 line in 36 career playoff games, all with Buffalo (surprise!). A dependable defender with good speed and soft hands, Connolly fills a big hole in the Maple Leafs lineup. He is a consistent performer in the regular season and the playoffs and a good character guy on and off the ice, however, the fact that he has only played two 82 game seasons in his career and has been quite injury prone over the years is a risk the Leafs will have to live with.
His impact in Toronto will be measured in how well the top line fairs but it he will also have a ripple effect all through the lineup. The Leafs have dependable centers in their lineup in Tyler Bozak and Mikhail Grabovski but neither is suited for a first line role and will fit in much better as second/third line pivots.
The contract will pay Connolly $5.5M in the first year and $4M in the second, giving the Leafs flexibility for a trade if it does not work out in Toronto. Considering the top free agent this summer is getting paid $12M in his first year (Brad Richards) and with the market rates for players becoming obscene, this is a very manageable contract for Burke and his team.
Grade for Toronto: A-
Connolly needed a change of scenery and he is going to one of the best cities to play hockey in and his sole job will be to give the puck to Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf as often as humanly possible. Certainly he would have preferred a longer contract, but with his injury history in Buffalo the two-year deal is justified. If he plays well for the Leafs, he will surely be able to cash in one more time as he will only be 32-years-old when this contract expires and to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs for an annual hit of $4.75M.. he is not complaining.
Grade for Connolly: A |
