The Edmonton Oilers signed Connor Brown to a one-year contract on the first day of free agency and the forward will reunite with his former junior teammate, Connor McDavid. Brown spoke confidently about the Oilers’ captain in an interview on the “Mitts Off” Podcast recently, saying about McDavid, “He’s going to win a Cup.” He added, “As a player, that’s what I want to do, I want to win.”
Brown and McDavid combined for 227 points as linemates almost ten years ago, and for that reason, many Oilers fans are excited about the possibility of the duo recreating that same chemistry in the 2023-24 season. With that in mind, Brown is expected to be a critical piece to the Oilers’ Stanley Cup puzzle, and below are four interesting facts to get acquainted with the newly signed Oiler.
Brown Holds a Team Canada Record
In May 2021, Brown was selected to represent Team Canada for the first time at the IIHF World Hockey Championship. While he’s been known for his defensive acumen throughout his career, he served as the driving force behind Team Canada’s offence.
Brown led the tournament with 16 points in 10 games, and according to QuantHockey, the 14 assists he tallied is currently a Team Canada record for most assists by a Canadian in a single tournament. On top of that, he was instrumental in the gold medal-clinching goal. The game was tied 2-2 against Finland in the final game and in overtime, Nick Paul and Brown streaked down on a 2-on-1, and Brown set up his teammate for the game-winning goal to secure the gold medal for Team Canada.
Brown’s Tireless Efforts on Penalty Kill Will Greatly Benefit Oilers
Brown has two 20-goal seasons in his career, but he has a solid reputation as a penalty-killing specialist which will be advantageous for the Oilers. The Toronto, Ontario native only suited up in four games last season, but from 2019 to 2022, no forward in the NHL played more minutes shorthanded than him (512:43), according to Natural Stat Trick. On top of that, he led the NHL in shorthanded tallies with five goals during the shortened 2020-21 season.
From all accounts, Brown is known to play on both sides of the puck, which should bode very well for the Oilers and help lower the goals against them. Another interesting fact is that from 2019-2022, Brown’s now-Oiler teammate, McDavid, was seventh in the NHL in takeaways (162), and Brown was just a step behind him in the ninth spot with 159 takeaways. Now, if those two played on the same line, I can only imagine the offensive zone time they will have with their ability to strip the puck away from their opponents.
Related: Edmonton Oilers Sign Connor Brown to a 1-Year Deal
Additionally, to highlight his defensive play even further, during the 2021-22 season, he was second in the NHL in offensive puck battle wins and first in loose puck recoveries in the offensive zone (From “New Capitals Connor Brown, Dylan Strome Are Ready to Get to Work” The Athletic, 7/19/22).
Brown Won Significant Trophies in the OHL
Brown joined the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) during the 2011-12 season and despite his team finishing in last place, his 53 points led the club and he was named to the OHL’s All-Rookie Team. Due to his team’s shortcomings, the Otters drafted first overall in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection and took none other than future NHL MVP, McDavid.
Yet, it was during the 2013-14 season when the duo played on a line together which resulted in unmatched chemistry and because of that, Oilers’ fans are eagerly anticipating the potential chemistry they could recreate. That season, McDavid tallied 99 points in 56 games, and Brown, who captained the Otters team, registered 128 points in 68 games.
As a result, Brown not only won the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy for the top-scoring winger, and the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s top-scoring player, but he also won the Red Tilson Trophy for the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player, as voted on by the league’s writers and broadcasters. In addition, during that 2013-14 season, Brown was also recognized in a coaches poll as the best shootout scorer, second-best penalty killer, and third-smartest player.
Brown Holds an Ottawa Senators Franchise Record
After four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brown was traded in July 2019 to the Ottawa Senators, along with Nikita Zaitsev for Ben Harper and now Oilers’ defenceman Cody Ceci. In his second season with the Senators in the shortened 2020-21 season, he registered the best points-per-game (P/G) campaign of his career (0.62 P/G) recording 21 goals, and 14 assists in 56 games.
From March 25 to April 12, 2021, Brown scored in eight straight games, which set the Senators’ franchise record for most goals scored in consecutive games. Moreover, he scored 15 goals in the last 21 games of 2020-21, scoring the sixth most goals in the league over that span.
All in all, there’s a lot to be excited about with Brown’s sound defensive ability and scoring touch. With his previous chemistry with the Oilers’ captain, he should be able to blend in effortlessly with the team.
Where do you see Brown playing in the Oilers’ lineup? Have your say in the comments below!
