Tampa Bay Lightning 1st round pick in the 2010 draft (#6 overall), right wing Brett Connolly(28) skated the entirety of his rookie campaign as a 19-year old in the NHL. He picked up 4 goals and 11 assists in 68 games but was a bit of a lowly -9 plus/minus.
Signed to a three-year entry level deal that extends through 2014, the 6’2 200 lbs. forward finds himself playing his first games in the minors with new affiliate Syracuse Crunch, which adds even more depth to the team that won the Calder Cup Championship (as Norfolk Admirals) last season.
He’s off to a quick start, already racking up 7 goals and 10 assists in 18 contests, while the Crunch continue the pace that brought them to the top of the league and see them tied for first place in the Eastern Conference.
There’s little doubt of his tough playing style that opens up room for scoring chances, which he’ll bury 9 times out of 10, and on the farm he’s a bit of a skater on another level and has the disposition that is more mature than his years on earth.