Regular season
Playoffs
Key Stat: Brett Connolly had, by far, the best offensive season of his career. He reached career highs in goals with 22, assists with 24, and total points with 46.
The Good: Did someone say Brett “Contract Year” Connolly? The 26-year-old winger had a massive career year this season. He provided a lot of much needed secondary scoring for the Capitals and helped anchor the third line. He posted an impressive shooting percentage of 15.8. He played in 81 games this season, which is a career high, and his ice-time went up to 13:20 per game, the most he has averaged in his three years in Washington.
The Capitals have a history of taking chances on players, and Connolly is like the OG reclamation project. He struggled in Tampa and in Boston, due in part to inconsistent ice time as a result of packed rosters. The Caps, however, saw something special in him and when he arrived in Washington in 2016, he seemed to fit right in. That comfort became even more evident this season, and he has the stats to prove it. He was quietly a very important piece of the Capitals’ lineup, and has been for three years.
The Bad: While Connolly had an incredible year offensively, his scoring came in inconsistent spurts. When he had a hot streak going he seemed unstoppable, but there were stretches where he went several games either without a point or without a goal. This streakiness included an 11-game goal drought in January. He also only tallied two assist during that stretch. He posted career numbers, yes, but imagine what they could have looked like if his offense was consistent. Another bad thing? His career year may have priced him out of the Capitals’ plans for next season.
The Video:
The Charts:
The Discussion: Connolly hits UFA status this offseason and has definitely earned himself a pay raise from his $1.5 million cap hit on a two-year contract. The Capitals are in a bit of a bind when it comes to cap space but are interested in trying to bring Connolly back next season. What kind of deal, if any, are you hoping to see between the two camps? Is price or contract length more important? What would it take for him to earn a “10” next year?
Other Connolly Season Reviews: Peerless, RMNB
The Vote: Rate Connolly below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season – if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.