In an Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, Connor Brown scored his first goal of the season and first as a member of the team. The reaction was incredible and the hope is that the goal unlocks a few active players on the roster. There is also talk that the Oilers have already begun to look at possible extensions for Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick. Cody Ceci’s name was out there in trade rumors, but he wasn’t moved. Why? Finally, it sounds like Corey Perry has come to terms and settled with the Chicago Blackhawks over a wrongful contract termination.
Connor Brown Finally Scores!
It took 55 games, but Connor Brown finally put one in the back for the net for the Oilers. The reaction was incredible as the fans gave him such a loud response on Wednesday night that it paused the game for a few seconds before the puck could be dropped again to continue play. Brown now has one goal and five assists on the season for six points. He’s been a useful player on the forecheck and penalty kill, but he was not producing offensively, creating two schools of thought. Some fans wanted him gone. Others want to support him, knowing eventually his snake-bitten drought would have to end.
Brown was asked about the support from Oilers fans and said it goes a long way. The hope here is that it unlocks some of his offense. This is a former 20-goal scorer and while there’s no way he will reach that mark this season, could he get three or four more in the final 18 games? What that goal also did was give Evander Kane a nice boost. He said prior to the contest he wanted to help Brown get a goal and he did exactly that. If Kane isn’t scoring, having him with a goal to strive for makes him a much more effective player. If his mission is to build some chemistry with Brown, that’s good news for the Oilers, especially if Kane doesn’t get regular top-six minutes.
Oilers Already Considering Extensions For Carrick and Henrique
Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reports in his recent 32 Thoughts column that the Oilers are already discussing the idea of talking to both Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick about contract extensions. Likely only in the preliminary stages, both forwards are pending UFAs, but GM Ken Holland would like to make them more than rentals.
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Friedman writes, “We will see how things unfold in the postseason, but Edmonton did show interest in extending both Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick.” As for what those extensions would look like, Carrick wouldn’t cost much. Henrique could be re-signed for a shorter term at less money based on his age and role in the NHL moving forward.
Oilers Opted Not to Trade Cody Ceci and Others
Friedman confirmed the Oilers were among the teams interested in a Chris Tanev trade. The Flames weren’t keen on sending Tanev to a division rival or taking on the term that would come with Ceci’s contract. Ultimately, he was moved to Dallas.
Friedman added on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Oilers thought about subtracting some players. It’s clear who else was on that list, but Warren Foegele might have made sense based on his pending UFA status.
Corey Perry Settles Contract Dispute with Blackhawks
As per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, “Sounds like there is a small salary cap charge coming for Blackhawks as a result of the settlement between Chicago, Corey Perry, the NHL, and NHLPA after what Perry’s camp alleged was an improper contract termination. Rather than grievance, a financial resolution was reached.”
Chris Johnston reports that no actual grievance was filed through the NHLPA, but instead, the two sides came to a mutual agreement without the formal need to drag out the process.
