RALEIGH, N.C. — It was late at night when the deal was finalized. Brett Connolly was headed to Boston for two second-round picks, in 2015 and 2016, as the Bruins opted to improve their club with a hockey trade rather than a rental.

Last season’s deadline deal did not immediately pay dividends. Not only did Connolly barely see the ice after having surgery on his right hand — the result of being hit by a shot from Dennis Seidenberg in Connolly’s second practice with the team — but the Bruins didn’t make the playoffs.

With this year’s trade deadline approaching, Connolly reflected Friday on his exit from the Lightning.

“You know what, I wasn’t expecting it,’’ Connolly said prior to the Bruins’ 4-1 win over the Hurricanes, in which he assisted on the opening goal. “Obviously, nobody really knows what’s going on behind the scenes. When it happened, it was obviously something that I wasn’t used to — it was my first time getting traded.’’

So Connolly didn’t feel any anxiety leading up to the trade. He was not the subject of rumors.

“It kind of just happened,’’ Connolly said. “It happened late at night. Something that I wasn’t expecting.’’

Nor was he expecting to need surgery, which left him with just five games at the end of the season to prove his worth to his new team.

Connolly, 23, entered this season with a fresh start. And though his numbers aren’t where he or the team would prefer — eight goals and 15 assists in 59 games — he has certainly not held back the Bruins’ top line this season. Connolly has spent most of his ice time as the right wing with Brad Marchand (32 goals) and Patrice Bergeron (23), playing with them 57.9 percent of the time, according to leftwinglock.com.

Connolly has already established a career high in assists, and he’s just four goals from matching his career best.

“Definitely had a tough start [in Boston],’’ Connolly said. “But I think that I’ve gotten the chance to play with two really good players for probably 40 games this year, with Marsh and Bergy, and you learn a lot from those guys.

“I think that for myself, obviously, I’d like to score a little more, but I’m still scoring a little bit, I’m putting up some assists, playing hard. When I’m with those guys, [I try to] create space for them and play hard and physical and be hard on the forecheck. I think our line, when we’ve been together, we’ve been good.’’

Of all the Bruins’ forwards this season, Connolly has had some of the worst luck. He has had chances but he has not converted them. Still, Connolly is a relatively low-cost player — base salary of $1.025 million — and has time to perhaps grow into the potential that the Lightning saw when they selected him sixth overall in 2010.

It has not been an easy year for Connolly. He has been dogged by expectations, snake-bitten in goal scoring, and endured a rocky introduction to the Bruins faithful.

But he wouldn’t change what happened a year ago. Not at all.

“It was one of those things in Tampa where I wasn’t playing a lot, I was in and out of the lineup, I was playing on the fourth line, and you come here and Claude [Julien] has been very good with me,’’ Connolly said. “He believes in me and he’s played me in important positions for most of the year.

“We’ve played against other teams’ top lines for the 40 games that I’ve played with Marsh and Bergy. I’ve thought we’ve done a pretty good job. It’s just a matter of improving. Obviously, this time of year it’s all about winning and all about the team.’’

That team is no longer the Lightning, whom the Bruins face in a crucial playoff-push battle on Sunday. Connolly is more than happy to be on the other side.

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The Bruins sent Tyler Randell to Providence of the AHL for conditioning and placed Max Talbot on waivers. Randell has played 25 games this season for the Bruins, last appearing Feb. 18. Talbot has two goals and four assists in 36 games with the Bruins this season. He has also played in 10 games for Providence.

Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @amaliebenjamin.