Brett Connolly’s career resurgence as a Washington Capitals player is a success story in itself. The former first rounder at sixth overall had great expectations as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Connolly’s first full NHL season came in the midst of a 2014-15 campaign where he scored 12 goals and added 15 points in 50 games. Despite the upward trend, the Lightning dealt him to the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline for two second rounders the following two summers.
In that time period before being a regular in Tampa’s lineup, Bolts By the Bay noted that Connolly recorded 52 goals and 68 assists for the Syracuse Crunch.