Hope grows dim for Connolly’s return

[Bay Side]

Don't want to say it, but he's most likely not going to return this season!!

http://www.buffalonews.com/214/story/28623.html?tbd28623.html

Optimism over Tim Connolly’s possible return has waned, although it hasn’t been extinguished yet.

When the Buffalo Sabres center suffered a stress fracture just below his right knee while rehabilitating from a concussion about a month ago, the initial thought was that he would be off the ice a week to 10 days, a negligible period that likely wouldn’t have affected the timetable for his return to the lineup.

Connolly’s leg, however, still hurts. He hasn’t been on the ice and nobody knows when he will be. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has figured Connolly will need six weeks to get into game shape. Four weeks remain in the regular season.

“When you look at a week to 10 days, that wasn’t going to be that big of a setback,” Ruff said after Thursday morning’s practice in HSBC Arena. “When you go beyond that, it’s a setback. . . . We were making good progress. Right now, we’re not making any progress.”

The break occurred after Connolly resumed regular exercise in late January. He had been inactive in the eight months since his concussion in the second round of the 2006 playoffs.

“It takes a toll on everything,” Ruff said. “We were progressing nicely with him from monitoring heart rates and recover rates and everything else. He was coming along nice. This has definitely slowed that procedure down.”

Ruff won’t count out Connolly, who signed a three-year contract worth $8.7 million over the summer.

“There’s lots of time,” Ruff said. “If and when we do get him back, it may not be that we get him to where we wanted to get him, but he still may be an effective player, whether it’s a special-teams player or a limited- ice-time situation.

“We’re trying to look at all possibilities if we can get him to some point where he can be a valuable asset.”

[JLB]

All I can say is crap it never ends.

Do we have a decision to make or do we just hold out hope?

[Bay Side]

Made it this far without him....Thats all i have to say!

[sukie]

He's a big number for a guy that is becoming dead wood. Gamble not paying off.

[Bay Side]

For sure!!

[SCBILLFAN1]

Is his contract guaranteed? I hate to be a pessimist but we could use that money to sign Drury.

[bduff54]

tough call, smells like lindros

[M76]

nhl contracts are guaranteed.. i'd be shocked to see him this season.. and without him its gonna be a real challenge to win the cup.. even ifhe came back i doubt it would be circa game 1 vs ottawa in round 2 last year.. he was a beast in that game

[MauvaisSang]

Damn Damn Damn.. it's looking like Connolly and even Afinogenov might not be back for the regular season. Guess we didn't need to trade Marty to clear up the cap room. I guess the high second round pick will still come in handy...

[Bay Side]

I saw that Max is targeted for April 1st!!

[MauvaisSang]

I saw that Max is targeted for April 1st!!

That's good news. A few regular season games will help him get back in the flow.

I would give Connolly a look in the playoff; even if he hasn't played a game in the regular season, he has that much talent.

[smashingt2312]

I think connolly is finally shelved. Hope he can come back though.

[SHINEdown30]

Yeah, Max will be back. But hopefully this playoffs he can contribute.

[starfirestar]

Yes Connolly is that talented which is why it would be best to shelve him for the rest of the season and not risk him getting hurt. Rushing him back, which is what they're doing at this point, will only hurt him long-term. The Sabres are still playing great hockey without him. Let him recuperate, and come back strong for training camp 07.

[BlackRockBills]

They're not rushing him back.

But yeah, this year looks pretty much done. He'll be back for next year. I don't think the contract gamble can be classified as a failure yet.

Still, this was the most depressing thing to read with my morning coffee.

[SHINEdown30]

How can they be rushing him back? I think it is the total opposite.

[bigdog72ny]

not suprised at all by the news he probably wont be back. we made it it this far without him.

[Carl J. Ironsides]

WTF??

I just read something yesterday saying he'd be back April 1. This sucks.

[stafford669]

im going to the game in montreal march 31 i hope max is back for that one i encourage all sabre fans to come down to montreal that saterday night and cheer on our sabres,screw the habs their losers,Lets be louder in montreal then montreal fans GO BUFFALO GO!

[buffalofan19]

tough call, smells like lindros

The only thing is: it's not a concussion holding him back. It's a stress fracture. If this had happened in December, we wouldn't even be having this discussion because there still would be time left in the season. It's the timing of the injury that hurts Connolly, not really the extent.

[Circusboy39]

Don't rule it out yet though that he comes back at some point to help the team, at least until they come right out and say it.

[amico1990]

WTF??

I just read something yesterday saying he'd be back April 1. This sucks.


Garth said that...need i ellaborate?

[Thumper]

Rushing him back, which is what they're doing at this point, will only hurt him long-term.

They're rushing him back? He hasn't even practiced in almost 1 calender year.

He's a great player and this team would only benefit from his return. But its just one thing after another with this guy. I hope this stress fracture is the last injury he has for a long time.

It'd be great to have that dynamic offense from Connolly injected into the lineup. Maybe the 2nd round.

[unklechucky]

Where are all the people who thought i was crazy questioning if Connelly should have been traded? The guy is a talent, and I wish him all the luck in the world, but he has been absolutely useless and eats payroll.

[voicekiller]

I hate to say it but i knew he would never come back this year if ever...sad to say but you should always keep your hopes high and your expectations low

[Matt]

Connolly's career has just been weird.

- Considered an underachiever after coming in off the Peca trade.
- Big part of the storybook year last year.
- Returns to being made out of glass for the current cup run.

Very weird career pattern.

[SabresFan220]

When you really think about it, it's even weirder:

Prior to the suspension Connolly had to serve before his concussion he had never missed a game in 182 or so games in his career. Keep in mind that during the time he was healthy people were very disappointed with what we had gotten out of him. Then he missed the entire season the following year with the preseason concussion, and then there was the lockout. Last season we signed him to a tentative qualifying offer contract to let him prove he still had some game. Then of course he absolutely blew everyone away and played an All-Star caliber season as a real leader on the team (helping us work through long term injuries to Briere and Dumont). Then came the Kasparitis cheapshot that held him out of the lineup for about a month. When he got back into the lineup he started playing into form going into the playoffs. He was untouchable in the Philly series, and absolutely willed us to victory in Game 1 vs Ottawa along side Derek Roy. Then of course came the people's elbow (I don't give a shit what anyone else wants to call it) from Peter Schafer. Now he's sat in the press box all season eating up roughly $3 million in cap space, but we've all been hoping and praying to see him on the ice this year. We're still praying, but it doesn't sound like we'll get our prayers answered at least until the 2nd round. Here's hoping we don't see Ottawa and Peter Schafer's elbow again then.