The Florida Panthers put winger Brett Connolly on waivers Sunday.
The 28-year-old former captain of the Prince George Cougars, who brought the Stanley Cup back to his P.G. hometown after winning it with the Washington Capitals in 2018, has been a healthy scratch several times over the past month and has seen limited icetime with the Panthers.
Coming off a 19-goal, 33-point season in 69 games in 2019-20, Connolly has just one goal and two assists in 16 games for Florida this season. He signed with the Panthers July 1, 2019, after three seasons with Washington, and is in the second year of a four-year contract worth $14 million US. He played a season-low 7:57 minutes in Saturday’s shootout loss to Carolina.
Connolly has played 512 NHL games and has 99 goals and 191 points. He played his 500th game on Jan. 28 in Columbus. He’s been placed on Florida’s taxi squad and if he clears waivers the Panthers can send him to their minor pro AHL affiliate in Springfield, Ill.
The Prince George minor hockey product was drafted sixth overall in 2010 by the Tampa Bay Lightning and played parts of four seasons with the Bolts. He was traded to the Boston Bruins on March 2, 2015. After one season with the Bruins he signed as a free agent with the Capitals in 2016.
Connolly, selected sixth overall in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, has scored 99 goals and added 92 assists in 512 career NHL games. His most productive season so far came the season after the Caps won their first NHL championship, when he scored 22 goals and had 24 assists in 81 games for Washington in 2018-19.
