The Edmonton Oilers are very tight on cap space this season and will be looking for the best deals to add talent to their roster. One name that has repeatedly come up and been connected to the Oilers is Connor Brown. He is coming off of a fairly serious injury that kept him out of action for all but four games last season, but that’s really his only injury since entering the NHL.
Elliotte Friedman discussed the situation with Brown as free agency approaches on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast and said, “I think there is a lot of teams out there curious about what Connor Brown is thinking and where he’s going, and whether or not he’s guaranteed to go to Edmonton.” Edmonton is tight on cap and most likely can’t make him the biggest offer he’s going to get in free agency. Friedman also doesn’t even believe that teams are able to talk to Brown yet. Jeff Marek added that Brown has a couple of ties to the Oilers, from playing with McDavid with the Erie Otters to having the same agent.
Brown recently joined former Oiler Luke Gazdic on his podcast, Mitts Off, and spoke on potentially landing in Edmonton, saying “You’d be lying to say no. Of course, it would be awesome to play with (Connor) McDavid. He’s going to win a Cup eventually, and as a player that’s what I want to do. I want to win…and winning is a big priority in where you’re going to land.” This notion that the Oilers are very close to winning the Stanley Cup is a great thing for them as well as the prospect of free agents playing alongside McDavid. Edmonton is cold in the winter and north of the border, so they haven’t really had a lot of interest from free agents in the past. Big cities, warm climates, and no state tax in the United States are all factors that have worked against a team like the Oilers…until recently.
The Need for Brown
The Oilers came so close to pushing even deeper into the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and are believed to be maybe just a piece or two away from going all the way. For most of the past two seasons, they have had five great top-six forwards, but that sixth spot is what has hindered them. Zach Hyman has been with the team for two years and Evander Kane for about a year and a half, so Kane has really only played a season’s worth of games (84) for the Oilers during the regular season.
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Things should return to normal next season as no serious freak injuries are expected to occur. But normal is still with the glaring hole on the right side. Jesse Puljujarvi originally got a very long look in the top-six and when the Oilers finally decided that experiment was over, gave Kailer Yamamoto a good look. He has followed a similar path as Puljujarvi as he has been snake-bitten for too long to continue playing with the best players in the world. While the Oilers’ power-play numbers are world-class, they lose steam and are generally outscored at five-on-five. This isn’t because of a lack of chances, it’s due to a lack of finishing ability on those chances.
By looking at the numbers, this isn’t just a slump for Yamamoto, it has become a trend. He started the 2022-23 season without a goal in the first 15 games, scored just two goals in the first 27, scored just two goals again in the final 19, and potted one goal in 12 playoff games. Sure, he doesn’t get a lot of power-play time, but neither does Kane who has scored 32 goals and 56 points at even strength in his 84 games with the Oilers. Similarly, Brown is not a player who’s counted on to produce on the power play. However, he’s effective at even strength. Over the past three full seasons, 37 of his 47 goals and 52 of his 70 points have come at even strength. Take into account that he’s a very talented penalty killer, a solid two-way player, and plays the game hard and clean, the Oilers would be golden if he joined the top-six.
The Oilers do have to make a move or two to be able to bring Brown in, but all signs point to him choosing Edmonton when free agency begins on July 1. It would be a win for the Oilers and Brown as the winger believes the team is bound for a Stanley Cup in the very near future.
