Connolly "week to week"

Tim Connolly's latest doctor visit did not go well, and the playing status of the oft-injured Buffalo Sabres center is now on a "week-to-week" basis because of an upper-body injury.

Connolly suffered what was originally called a bruised chest Wednesday when he was flattened by St. Louis' Keith Tkachuk. He left the game early and missed the next day's practice, but he returned for Friday's home loss to Columbus.

However, Connolly did not make the trip to Pittsburgh for Saturday's loss to the Penguins. Coach Lindy Ruff said Monday that Connolly was getting a second opinion, a sign Connolly's injury was worse than originally thought because it would be rare to get more medical advice for a mere bruise. Asked today whether Connolly had improved, Ruff replied: "No."

Ruff declined further comment. Mike Gilbert, director of public relations, text-messaged the following statement to The News: "Tim Connolly has an upper body musculosketal injury and will be evaluated on a week to week basis."

Musculosketal simply means the parts that make up the body. Connolly has played in just six of the Sabres' 17 games. Their next outing is Wednesday when they visit the Boston Bruins.

---John Vogl

Comments

[Buffalo Excuses]

Don,

This guy reels in 3.3 per annum. Fans pay the tab. It's their right to whine.

Believe me, Timballina really doesn't care THAT much about the name calling when he cashes those checks.

[Ryan]

I heard broken sternum.

[eric]

Sounds like broken ribs...

[Don F]

Folks, let's agree on two things. (1) It's extremely disappointing to we fans that Tim gets hurt so often and misses so many games. (2) It's surely more disappointing to him.

How can you BLAME him for getting hurt, and Mikey -- calling him a disgrace? Lighten up, sportsfans.

[Sniper]

Poor Tiny Tim, add osteoperosis to his long list of injuries. Great job Regier, hang on to every one of these guys, they are da bomb! This team is pathetic, they would be very good in the new WNHL! Women's National Hockey League.

[Sniper]

Poor Tiny Tim, add osteoperosis to his long list of injuries. Great job Regier, hang on to every one of these guys, they are da bomb! This team is pathetic, they would be very good in the new WNHL! Women's National Hockey League.

[Mikey]

P.S. At this point, how can his teammates even respect him?

[Mikey]

This guy Connolly is a disgrace! He sneezes blood and can't seem to stay in the lineup for more than a few days. In my opinion, Ruff has shown the patience of Job in dealing with this disgrace. Imagine if the rest of could miss most of the last two years of our jobs and still get paid...

[DC Sabres Fan]

And to comment on Jan's post, other teams seem to "run at him" because he's always got his head down playing with the puck. He's an easy target.

[DC Sabres Fan]

I don't know what anybody sees in Tiny Tim. I have not liked him since we traded for him. All he does is stick handle and either miss the net with his shot or try to make some fancy pass that gets broken up. Yeah, he can stand on the side on a PP and distribute the puck, but is that worth $3+mill? No. He is my least favorite player on Buffalo (now that Kalinan is gone).

[jan]

Connolly can't seem to stay healthy enough for long periods of time. He's now become a target for the opposing players-- they'll take a run at him when he's out on the ice to get him out of the game. When he's healthy, he's an asset to the team. The Sabres are limited as to what they can do with him. Trading him isn't an option (no one wanted him in the past). No one will pick him up on waivers. He won't be healthy enough to help out in Portland. Put him on IR or eat up what $$ is left on his contract -- he won't be re-signed. I'm sad that I never got to see him play in person.

[Dyngus]

Kotalik and Connolly to the IR. Bench or dump Max.

Roll these lines and see what happens:

Vanek-Roy-Stafford
MacArthur-Hecht-Pominville
Gerbe-Kennedy-Mancari
Kaleta-Gaustad-Mair

[Run Run Run!]

This is the last year on his contract, I believe. I agree with the others. He's done. Put him on the IR, let him collect whatever money the rest of the season, and then just walk away from him. No, run from him. That was $9 million wasted.

[Rick]

I have pretty much given up on Connelly being suited up much. Can anyone in Portland help? Roy must pick it up. And Darcy need to pull off some kind of a great trade this year.

[Ben McDermott]

Sad....tim's my favorite player on the team, but to think we could have had JP Dumont instead of him back during the 06 off-season...well knowing what we know now, it would have been the better decision!

[Bob McKenzie]

Just a joke, a complete waste. Cut Tina now.

[erem]

Another recurring news. Don't re-sign him after the contract ends. He is good no doubt about it. But he is always not healthy. Get another guy to fill-up his slot.

[Rick]

Someone must be coming up from Portland? I wonder who?

[Greg]

It's a shame -- because Timmy really dominates when he's healthy. The PP is just not the same without him. He was my favorite player at one point, but now it's just become a joke. I feel really bad for him. I want to say that it's not his fault that he's getting injured, but maybe it is. He does have that head down a lot.

Maybe the Sabres could keep him next year with a 1 or 2 year deal for low money. I wouldn't mind that. Might be tough to justify that given how the guys in Portland are playing.

[possibility]

I wonder if possibly some lingering effects of the concussions just make him react a little slow on the ice, and he just doesn't get out of the way or shift his body when he's about to get hit. Taking hits that way might add up quicker. Eitehr way, he seems done. They never should have given him that big a contract until they saw if he recovered from the concussion.

[Stanley Cupless]

WTF is a musculosketal injury? Sounds like his bones are going to turn to mush and he'll just be a sack of muscle and skin.

Connolly will not be a Sabre next season.

[SabresFan in DC]

Again?!?! I agree with Chad. Put the guy on IR.

[Dave]

This is shocking news, indeed.

[cliff]

I think poor TC simply does not have body that can withstand NHL hockey. Why that happened to him after he put in a few seasons without missing games(pre-concussion) is a mystery, but at this point seems to be established as a reality(a mystery as it seems to have no correlation to his concussion). I don't think the Sabres have any real options here--there is no insurance on his contract and even if he cleared waivers they would have to buy him out for most of the rest of his salary( I think it would be 2/3). So--they just have to live with their decision of a few years ago to give him a big(for the time) contract which could not be insured--didn't make sense then, and sure looks bad now.

[pjm]

Is there any way to just cut him from the club? Even if you take a salary hit, just get rid of him and bring in one of the young guys. Enough is enough.

[Chad]

Then put him on IR. Don't let him take up a roster spot, especially considering Connolly is not the quickest healer in the world. I'd say that it's time to bring Mancari up, but we may need Gerbe to take Connolly's spot as a playmaking center. God this guy is frustrating.