Toronto met the NHL for paring its roster to the 23-player maximum Wednesday afternoon by placing center Tim Connolly on injured reserve.Connolly, who suffered an upper-body injury at practice earlier this week, was placed on IR retroactively, meaning he can return to the team as early as this Saturday for Toronto's home game against Ottawa.The Leafs signed Connolly this offseason to a two-year deal worth $9.5 million. Prior to signing the deal, Connolly had spent the previous eight seasons with Buffalo, where he struggled to stay healthy, having played fewer than 50 games three times. The last time Connolly played a full 82-game season was in 2001-02, his first season in Buffalo.Connolly played 68 games last season, scoring 13 goals and adding 29 assists.