"For all of the knocks Tim Connolly takes in Leafs Nation and beyond, he does add an element or two to the Maple Leafs lineup when he is healthy.

And with his first full practice with his teammates since suffering an upper-body injury against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 5, Connolly took a big stride toward returning to the lineup.

The smart money probably is on Connolly being in uniform not until Thursday evening when the Leafs visit the Nashville Predators, with a smaller chance that it happens on Tuesday night when the Phoenix Coyotes visit the Air Canada Centre."