A Player Per Day: No 19: Tim Connolly

[LabattBlue]

Also I think Connolly is a better pure shooter than Ennis at this point in his career.

I have heard this mentioned several times this year(He needs to shoot more, he has a great shot, blah, blah, blah...) and it is complete BS. If you look at Connolly's career numbers based on an 80 game season, he has averaged 15 goals per 80 games. He has never scored 20 goals in any NHL season and he has a career shooting percentage of 9.4%.

 

In this case, the numbers don't lie.

[North Buffalo]

I am not sure if I want to see the Tin Man go before Stafford, but both should be traded as soon as possible if nothing else before the draft. Maybe the Sabres could move up and get a real scorer.

 

I like Connolly skills, but his skull is just not made for the game. The old glass chin thing in boxing... great skills but can't take a punch and in hockey that is a death knell to his career. He played like he as protecting his chin in the playoffs and the Sabres can't afford that with their number one center.

 

Stafford on the other hand I just can't stand... he is a panty waste in the first degree.... send him back to Edmonton where he can cry over his West Coast wine... Reminds me a lot of the quarter back Ryan Leaf.... all arrogance and no substance...

 

Anyone want to bet we see him busted for some kind of drugs in a few years after he is let go by another team?

[thesportsbuff]

I have heard this mentioned several times this year(He needs to shoot more, he has a great shot, blah, blah, blah...) and it is complete BS. If you look at Connolly's career numbers based on an 80 game season, he has averaged 15 goals per 80 games. He has never scored 20 goals in any NHL season and he has a career shooting percentage of 9.4%.

 

In this case, the numbers don't lie.

 

Actually those numbers mean nothing to me or this argument. Nobody said Connolly is a Joe Sakic type sniper, but he certainly has a good shot. Ten years in the NHL against NHL-caliber goaltenders will do that for you. Not to mention that shooting percentage is probably the most useless statistics recorded for forwards. Who keeps track of how many of a player's shots turn into rebound goals??? Keep using his stats against him though, that same page in the notebook will show you he's nearly a point-per-game player, which is more than everybody else on the team besides MAYBE Derek Roy, can say. He's also a +32 since 05/06.

 

Anyway, what I said was that Connolly is a better shooter than Ennis is at this point in his career, and I think that's quite obvious.. not only because Ennis had several chances where he should have shot but instead chose to pass (showing a lack of confidence in his own shot), but also because he had several scoring chances that he just couldn't beat the goaltender. Chances that with a year or two more experience, he will probably bury every time. His breakaway when he deked Rask out of his shoes and then backhanded it at the side of the net is just one example. Ennis will hopefully evolve into a better player than Connolly, but in what will be just his first full NHL season, I wouldn't expect him to be the next Stamkos or Duchene, which is what most of you seem to think about the kid.

[static70]

Tim Connolly needs to move on.

Its nothing about hating him, the organization just needs to get a #1 Center and Connolly isn't it.

 

I will say this team is not going to sign a UFA number 1 center. They aren't going to be there.

A trade is going to have to happen and Darcy knows this. We'll see a major move this off season. A major trade of assets. Its coming.

As for Who, there are multiple Centers out there that can be traded for, and they aren't going to come cheap.

 

Malkin

Richards (Dallas)

 

These are only 2 of a long list that comes to mind. But its going to happen. I also believe the team is going to sign Mueller or a Lombardi/Cullen 3rd line center.

 

Connolly will be a part of any deal that goes down. Roy is staying put considering his contract.

[LabattBlue]

Actually those numbers mean nothing to me or this argument. Nobody said Connolly is a Joe Sakic type sniper, but he certainly has a good shot. Ten years in the NHL against NHL-caliber goaltenders will do that for you. Not to mention that shooting percentage is probably the most useless statistics recorded for forwards. Who keeps track of how many of a player's shots turn into rebound goals??? Keep using his stats against him though, that same page in the notebook will show you he's nearly a point-per-game player, which is more than everybody else on the team besides MAYBE Derek Roy, can say. He's also a +32 since 05/06.

 

So having a great shot, but not being able to score at even a 20 goal level, is in your eyes, a valuable skill? :blink: :blink:

 

Just curious...Would you be okay with the Sabres signing Connolly to a 4 year extension in the offseason worth 4 to 5 mil a year? If so, I'm done with this conversation.

[thesportsbuff]

So having a great shot, but not being able to score at even a 20 goal level, is in your eyes, a valuable skill? :blink: :blink:

 

Just curious...Would you be okay with the Sabres signing Connolly to a 4 year extension in the offseason worth 4 to 5 mil a year? If so, I'm done with this conversation.

 

I didn't say that either. But yeah, having a good shot is a valuable skill, and right now the two players have different skill sets. I think they're both valuable to the team, and although I wouldn't extend Connolly further, he's already got his contract -- so I'd like to see him stick around and help the Sabres to another playoff run.

[nfreeman]

How are we better by giving away a player who finished second on our team in scoring, especially considering the lack of depth at center in the organization? The same guy who had more points this season than: Bobby Ryan, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ray Whitney, et al. He also finished +10.

 

I'm not a huge fan of TC and agree to some extent that he is a microcosm of what ails this team but he has value IMO and I don't think it's an addition by subtraction. If there is a deal to be made then make it but just because another player wears a jersey that doesn't have a slug on it, doesn't necessarily make him better than the ones that do. Get a number one center on this team that will slot our so-called "core" forwards on lines that match their abilities instead of asking players to shoulder the load who don't have the skill to do so.

Good post. I think the bolded part really nails the problem. I've defended TC quite a bit over the years but I've also excoriated DR for making the Sabres rely on TC to be there for them as their #1 center. After 07-08 it should have been blatantly obvious to him -- as it was to everyone here -- that this was a sucker's bet. This year, he finally stayed healthy and he was pretty productive for most of the season. Sure enough though, when we really needed him, he broke his foot and wasn't able to come back strong.

 

This kind of guy just can't be the #1 center. And to be fair to him, he's not paid like a #1 center. But DR needed to construct a roster that didn't rely on him to be the top guy. I'm fine with him and Roy as #2 and #3, and that way it doesn't hurt the team so much if one of them is hurt or thinking about wings and skanky women instead of playing hard. But they are still dying for a #1. If they can trade TC (or Roy or Pommer) and get one, that would be fantastic. They don't grow on trees though.

 

I will say that while I can appreciate the position that it's not wise to just dump a 70-point guy in a league where scoring is the most precious commodity, I also think that that if TC were dumped for a pick and the Sabres used the $ to sign a good player, this would be a pretty interesting scenario. Even though that player wouldn't be an elite, big-name guy, he could be a solid-to-very-good player (at forward or D). Combine that with bigger roles and improvements from guys like Kennedy and Ennis (and maybe Gerbe), a better year from Vanek, more greatness from Myers and perhaps an effective wake-up call to Roy, Pommer and Stafford, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

 

Draft? No. I think we want someone who can come in now. This team had a window recently, and it has another one now.

+1

 

A trade is going to have to happen and Darcy knows this. We'll see a major move this off season. A major trade of assets. Its coming.

As for Who, there are multiple Centers out there that can be traded for, and they aren't going to come cheap.

 

Malkin

Are you on drugs?

[Wilbur]

Tim the squirrel Connolly. Plays with his nuts, saves his raisins for Sunday.

[Eleven]

Tim the squirrel Connolly. Plays with his nuts, saves his raisins for Sunday.

 

I have no idea what this means, but it's very funny to me right now.

[spndnchz]

Speaking of funny:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d52dxT_7co&feature=player_embedded

[SDS]

Speaking of funny:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d52dxT_7co&feature=player_embedded

 

that was just bizarre...

[Kristian]

Peca never lived up to his potential after that trade either...

 

Not true - Peca went on to have a career year with the Isles, winning an olympic gold medal with Canada before Darcy Tucker blew out his knees.

 

After that he was never same player.

[SwampD]

Not true - Peca went on to have a career year with the Isles, winning an olympic gold medal with Canada before Darcy Tucker blew out his knees.

 

After that he was never same player.

Actually, he went to the SCFs with the Oilers after that.

[Kristian]

Actually, he went to the SCFs with the Oilers after that.

 

Very true, but wasn't that in a more "diminished" role, so to speak?

 

I'll admit I never saw much of the Oilers play that year, but the games I did see, my impression was that he played as a 3rd line center and penalty killer?

 

Not taking anything away from him, I thought he played well the games I saw.

 

I still think he could've helped if Darcy had signed him in 2007 where he indicated he'd be willing to come back to Buffalo as a UFA.

 

The fact that he played reasonably well after signing with the Jackets for 1.5 mill. reinforces that belief.

[Eleven]

Average for Tim Connolly: 1.92. Normally, I close the thread right after posting the total, but people still are carrying on discussion here, so I'm not going to do it. But no more votes count (this was open for nine days). I'll close the thread tomorrow or Sunday.

[TheChimp]

Connolly is one of those Yashin types. I am really disappointed at how little he seems to hustle or take the leadership role his salary warranted. But I would only trade him for an equal return, so the way #2 and #3 were worded had me at a loss. I gave him a 2.