WILMINGTON — To say that this is a big year for Brett Connolly might be an understatement.
At last season’s trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Lightning dealt the right winger to the Bruins for a pair of second-round draft picks. Connolly then promptly broke his finger in his second practice with the B’s, limiting him to just five games that barely gave the organization a hint of whether or not he fits in.
So when Connolly, a restricted free agent at season’s end, and the Bruins rather quickly agreed on a one-year extension worth $1,025,000, it made sense from both sides.