Brendan Connolly Re-signs - Confirmed

[Jayboy]

Brendan Connolly: with Peter Spencer

[paul johnston]

It alarms me that Conn's says his knee is still not 100% yet. So more or less a year off, 36/37 years old with 6-7 weeks before season starts. Massive gamble for me.

[Jayboy]

It alarms me that Conn's says his knee is still not 100% yet. So more or less a year off, 36/37 years old with 6-7 weeks before season starts. Massive gamble for me.

It's a massive gamble for sure.. but it sits well with me giving one of our best players another shot..
I feel sometimes it's more important as an organisation to prove our class in matters like this,and it pays dividends later down the line when the club are talking to other players, when Brendan a well respected player can tell those same players that we as a club didn't abandon him when he really needed a shot at another season, he has put the work in over months since his operation and to me deserves the chance again...
I have no doubt that wrote into his latest contract will be a clause concerning his fitness and knee injury, so if a replacement was needed we should at least have that covered..
I welcome players that want to prove something to the fans and themselves. yes its a gamble but sometimes you you have a feeling a gamble can pay off big time.. if it doesn't then he says his farewell to the fans in the knowledge that we gave him the best we could..

[mark]

I get the concerns over the knee injury and we have been stung before by players claiming injuries have healed when they really hadn't but I suspect what is different here is that he has been working with Danny Mawer continuously since the injury so we have independent verification of how the recovery is progressing and providing contract details reflect that I'm not sure this is a big a risk as some think it may be. A fit Connolly is an asset we should not throw away both in ability and attitude.

[Morpheous]

More than happy with this re signing if he’s playing bottom 6. Bit of a gamble yes, if he’s back as he was then brilliant but even if he’s not producing the points he once did, he’s still an asset on the ice agitating the other team and also in the locker room as Fox has said multiple times…

[smbmetal]

I'm very much torn on this one. My heart says yes, but my head says no.

I just worry that he won't be able to stay fit. It looked a bad knee injury and still isn't 100% by the sounds of things.

He does make other players accountable though and we missed that last season I thought.

I hope we see and keep a fit Connolly all season.

Our options in the players market must be limited.

[Jayboy]

I'm very much torn on this one. My heart says yes, but my head says no.

I just worry that he won't be able to stay fit. It looked a bad knee injury and still isn't 100% by the sounds of things.

He does make other players accountable though and we missed that last season I thought.

I hope we see and keep a fit Connolly all season.

Our options in the players market must be limited.

On balance I think he deserves a chance to play... and if he proves fit then we have a great player and character, if he doesn't then we bring somebody in to replace him... I agree its a gamble but its a gamble Fox is taking with a great deal more information than we are privy to..

[JoeySlats#13]

Happy with Connolly coming back, he brings grit, determination and a different side to our game, which it sounds like a couple of our upcoming signings will also be in that mould.

I'm confident he will still produce in terms of points as well, for depth in roster he would be an excellent third line center to play with Mosey and one other. But could also see him playing LW on that second line with Raska and Latal or even centering the top line with Dowd and Allen (presumed).

I think we missed some character towards the end of the season, which he would have provided. I'm sure his knee will be fine by the time the season starts otherwise I doubt Fox would have agreed.

[raetiamann]

I like Cons, so I too am in the heart - yes, the head - no group.

My biggest concern is that this highlights Fox's limited recruitment range, not to mention recruitment style. I'm afraid I'm yet to see signing that will have the Giants, Devils & Panthers woŕying too much about us.

Other coaches have by now realised Fox isn't a great tactical coach, having just the one way to play and so It seems to me, that unless we are still to reveal some franchise players then we're playing for 4th position. That's not a feeling I want and it is depressing to be waiting off our chances so far ahead of the season.

I hope i'm wrong.

[paul johnston]

I like Cons, so I too am in the heart - yes, the head - no group.

My biggest concern is that this highlights Fox's limited recruitment range, not to mention recruitment style. I'm afraid I'm yet to see signing that will have the Giants, Devils & Panthers woŕying too much about us.

Other coaches have by now realised Fox isn't a great tactical coach, having just the one way to play and so It seems to me, that unless we are still to reveal some franchise players then we're playing for 4th position. That's not a feeling I want and it is depressing to be waiting off our chances so far ahead of the season.

I hope i'm wrong.

I planned to say exactly the same thing. More or less all our remaining to be signed/announced players need to be pretty much studs as I agree, our current squad looks to be fighting for 4th, maybe 3rd.

I reckon we've retained 2-4 core guys that maybe we shouldn't have, have lost probably at least a couple that we didn't want to (Vally and maybe Eberle), whilst our confirmed new imports are unproven. I'd be surprised if Allen and Nevalainen don't go well though, Raska I'm not sure about.