Brett Connolly – Yay or Nay?

On Monday afternoon, NHL teams faced the 5:00 pm est deadline to extend qualifying offers to impending RFA’s. There were some interesting names that were not qualified, including four Edmonton Oilers. Among those pushed down the line by their current team? A player acquired two seasons ago by now Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli.

No qualifying offers for Bruins’ Connolly, Ferraro or Sexton.

— Joe McDonald (@ESPNJoeyMac) June 27, 2016

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsBrett Connolly was once a can’t miss prospect in the 2010 NHL entry draft. Connolly recorded ten goals in 16 games in his draft season of 2009-10, which was cut short due to injury. Even with the questions, Tampa Bay selected the player sixth overall in the 2010 draft.

In 2010-11, Connolly bounced back and scored 46 goals in 59 games in the WHL, setting himself up to go pro in the fall of 2011. His best pro campaign came in his sophomore AHL season, 2012-13, when he tallied 31-32-63 in 71 games for the Syracuse Crunch.

In the NHL, however, Connolly has never lived up to the hype. His best season for Tampa Bay was in 2014-15, when in 50 games he recorded 12-3-15. In the middle of that season, on the morning of trade deadline day to be exact, Connolly was moved to Boston for a pair of second round draft picks. The GM that traded for him? Peter Chiarelli.

Connolly recorded zero points in five games the rest of the way for Boston, then went on to tally 9-16-25 in 71 games this past season. Throughout the year, Connolly became a whipping boy for Bruin fans and a target of the media during another frustrating season in Boston.

Connolly wasn’t great for the Bruins this past season, but he also wasn’t exactly used correctly. While he did get some looks in the top-six, it seemed almost far too common that Connolly was playing on the third and fourth line with grinders, limiting his offensive potential.

Via The Hockey News:

Why Would Edmonton Be Interested?:
This is purely speculative on my part, but I suspect Chiarelli believes in this player. He gave up two draft choices for him in Boston, but never got to truly put him in the right role because of injury and the eventual firing of the GM that May.

Stauffer just mentioned Brett Connolly in regard to potential Nail Yakupov target.

— Tyler (@akaRCN) June 25, 2016

In the ‘not speculation by me’ department, we have a very well connected insider bringing the player’s name up in possible trade conversations. Obviously, nothing materialized on this front, but it is fair to ask if the team will have interest now that the player is free for the taking.

There are some pros to adding this player as well. First off, Connolly needs a fresh start. He was a whipping boy in Boston and needs to get out of that spotlight. Coming to a new team where he isn’t expected to be a key contributor could be a big boost for him.

In addition to that, he plays right wing and is a right shot. Should the Oilers move Jordan Eberle or Nail Yakupov, they will need another RW with NHL experience who can play in the top-nine. Connolly can do that, is only 24 years old and will likely come cheap.

Being a right shot gives Edmonton some options as well, as only Eberle and recent draft choice Jesse Puljujarvi can boast that ability AND provide the skill needed to play on the powerplay. While Connolly has underwhelmed at the NHL level, he still has the talent to help, especially on the man advantage.

He’s not a sexy name, but the former sixth overall selection is a player to keep an eye on in the next week. There are connections to the organization and a real fit between player and team.

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js