"There's no doubt what number stands out from Tim Connolly's season: 9 million. That's how many dollars the Buffalo Sabres center will earn the next two years, thanks to a contract extension he signed last month.

It's a large number, certainly capable of casting a shadow over a lot of others. By comparison, digits such as 1, 12, 18 and 42 seem inconsequential.

For Connolly's career prospects, however, those smaller numbers could loom large.

In many ways, Connolly recently completed his best season. Though he played just 48 games because of early season ailments, he dressed for the Sabres' final 42. That was his longest run of appearances since 2005-06.

He also was productive more often than not. The seventh-year veteran scored 18 goals, setting a career high. He finished with 47 points in the 48 games, his top points-per-game average. Connolly's career-best plus-12 rating led the team and was eight points higher than any other forward.

Then there's the No. 1. That was Connolly's status for the Sabres down the middle. He closed the season on the first line, bypassing Derek Roy while skating alongside Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. It was an obvious accomplishment for someone who's been more prone to injury than ice time since arriving in Buffalo in 2001.

But Connolly brushed off personal accolades after cleaning out his locker, and he joined his teammates in lamenting a second straight season without the playoffs.

"It's something where I don't really set goals as far as points," Connolly said. "Our goal is to win and to make the playoffs and have a chance to make the Stanley Cup. We didn't achieve that goal this year, obviously."

The Sabres will need continued production from Connolly if they hope to make the next postseason. It's obvious they expect it. That's why he got a raise from $3.5 million to $4.5 million despite playing less than 40 percent of his games the past three seasons.

The 27-year-old plans to deliver.

"There's still some room for improvement," Connolly said. "I think one of the areas is I can be a little more physical out there. There's guys that that's their specific job, but I think it could help me become a more well-rounded player. "