Tim Connolly Tim Connolly ( born May 7 , 1981 ) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . Playing career . Connolly played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) for two seasons , beginning in 1997 – 98 . After recording 68 points in 46 games in his second OHL season , he was drafted fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft . On June 24 , 2001 , at the NHL Entry Draft , Connolly and Taylor Pyatt were traded by the Islanders to the Buffalo Sabres for captain Michael Peca . After missing only three regular season games total in his first four seasons in the league , injuries began to plague Connolly ' s career beginning in 2003 – 04 . He missed the entire season with post - concussion syndrome after suffering a concussion in a pre - season game versus the Chicago Blackhawks . During the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , he played the second half of the season with SC Langnau in the Swiss Nationalliga A . In the 2006 playoffs , he recorded 11 points in 8 post - season games including the game - tying goal with 10 . 7 seconds left in game one of the second round series against the Ottawa Senators ( which Buffalo won 7 – 6 in overtime ) . In game two , however , Connolly was injured with another concussion and missed the rest of the playoffs . Continuing to suffer from post - concussion syndrome , Connolly missed the first 80 games of the 2006 – 07 season . Connolly was known in the NHL for his puck - handling skills , however , he had been criticized for playing with his head down which many link to his concussion problems . Often called out for being a fragile player , Connolly has missed many games because of subsequent injuries . He returned to action on April 7 , 2007 , against the Washington Capitals , recording 13 minutes of ice time and scoring a goal ; he was named second star for the game , which the Sabres won , 2 – 0 . Connolly had bone spur problems with his hip all throughout the 2007 – 08 season and had season - ending surgery to have them removed on March 21 , 2008 . The 2008 – 09 season season has seen the continuation of Connolly ' s injury problems . He began the season with two cracked vertebrae from a stick - butt to the back in a pre - season game , which forced him to miss the first 10 games of the regular season . After five games , in which he registered six points , he suffered a broken rib from a devastating hit by the St . Louis Blues ' Keith Tkachuk . Despite playing through the pain in the next game , the injury subsequently pulled Connolly out of the lineup once again . On January 9 , 2009 , Connolly returned to the lineup to finish the season with 47 points in 48 games . On March 4 , 2009 at the NHL Trade Deadline , Connolly was re - signed by the Buffalo Sabres to a two - year , $ 9 million contract . In 2009 – 10 , Connolly had a career - high 65 points in 73 regular season games . On July 2 , 2011 , Connolly was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Toronto Maple Leafs to a two - year , $ 9 . 5 million contract . On November 7 , 2011 , it was reported that Connolly was injured again , this time with an upper - body injury , and would miss between 10 days and two weeks .