Brett Connolly News

Connolly, 24, signed with the Capitals this offseason but was a healthy scratch in the first two games of the regular season. Tonight, Connolly will replace Zach Sanford on the Capitals’ third line with Lars Eller and Justin Williams. He had 25 points (9G / 16A) in 71 games with the Bruins last year.

Connolly, 24, had excellent AHL numbers in 2013-14, but has yet to really cash in at the NHL level. He had nine goals and 16 assists (25 points) in 71 games with the Bruins last season. Connolly has strong possession numbers and should fit in well with the Capitals as a bottom-6 forward.

Connolly suffered a lower-body injury in the Bruins loss in New Jersey on Tuesday. He has missed three of the last five games and only averaged 4:01 TOI in the two games he has appeared in. He will miss the Bruins’ two-game trip to St. Louis and Chicago.

Connolly was a healthy scratch on Saturday in Arizona but will get back into the lineup tonight because Matt Beleskey is sidelined with an upper-body injury. Connolly has one assist, six shots and a minus-4 rating in four games this season.

Brad Marchand sufferd a concussion on Saturday night and is out indefinitely. Marchand’s injury leaves a hole on the Bruins’ top line, which Connolly filled in Sunday’s practice. Connolly has no points and a minus-4 rating through the first two games of the season.

Connolly took part in the morning skate, but when coach Claude Julien was asked about Connolly’s status all he said was “we’ll see.” Consider Connolly a game-time decision and expect to find out whether he makes his Bruins debut tonight during pre-game warmups at 7:00 p.m ET.

Connolly missed 15 games with a fractured finger, but is finally expected to make his Bruins debut on Thursday after being acquired from the Lightning at the traded deadline. Connolly had 12 goals and three assists (15 points) in 50 games with Tampa Bay.

Before he could even suit up in a game for Boston, Connolly suffered a displace fracture in his right index finger. He was injured when he took a puck to the hand in Wednesday’s practice. The Bruins just gave up two 2nd round picks to get Connolly from Tampa Bay.

Connolly, 22, was a first round pick of the Lightning (6th overall) in 2010. He has a big frame at 6-foot-2 and he has been a proven goal scorer at all levels and tallied 12 goals and three assists (15) in 50 games usually in a bottom-6 role in Tampa Bay. He is a restricted free agent in the offseason.

In Monday’s practice Connolly swapped places with Ryan Callahan and is skating on the top-line with Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Drouin. Connolly has six goals in 23 games this season and playing with Stammer and Drouin should give Connolly a ton of room on the ice.

Connolly will be back in the lineup after missing three weeks with a leg injury suffered October 24 in Winnipeg. For Connolly, who was playing top-six minutes at the time of the injury but will be eased back into the lineup on the fourth line.

Connolly has started doing some light skating on his own and will likely try and ramp things up and return to practice in the next week or so. If that happens it would put him on track to be back in the middle of November.

Connolly suffered a lower-body injury on Friday and did not return. Week-to-week is a really vague timetable, but expect him to miss at least one week and be reevaluated after that.

Connolly suffered the lower-body injury early in Friday's game and he did not return. With Connolly unlikely to play, the Lightning will have to recall another forward from Syracuse before Saturday's meeting with the Wild.

Connolly recorded just one goal and a minus-5 rating in 11 games. "[Connolly is] struggling to find his game. He's not getting things accomplished, GM Steve Yzerman said. "We just feel it's better for him to go back." Tampa Bay is expected to recall another winger in the near future.

Connolly who was expected to replace Martin St. Louis if he couldn't go will still be in the lineup despite St. Louis playing. Connolly has one assist in three games with Syracuse (AHL).