"If Tim Connolly had a reputation as a soft, brittle performer in the National Hockey League when he was with the Buffalo Sabres, it didn't extend to many of those who played against him.

"He's a smart player, a guy known around the league as a high-end player," Maple Leafs forward Colby Armstrong said on Wednesday after the team practised at the MasterCard Centre.

"A lot of his stuff goes unnoticed. Blocking shots, nifty hands, a lot of little things he does when he gets the puck. He's a big part of our team."

Connolly signed a two-year contract for a total of $9.5-million US with the Leafs last July and on Friday night, will make his initial return to Buffalo, where he was a Sabre for nine seasons."