The Edmonton Oilers signed UFA right winger Connor Brown to a new contract today. This contract brings an AAV of $775,000 for one year.
#Oilers were able to land Connor Brown using a unique structure coming off his ACL injury. Sounds like 1 year x $775,000 plus potential $3.25 million in bonuses.
Will only count as $775k on the cap.@DailyFaceoff @CapFriendly
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 1, 2023
Connor Brown Signs New Contract via Free Agency
In one season with the Washington Capitals, Brown posted no points in just four games played due to injury. An ACL tear early in the year completely wiped out his season. Across his eight-year career thus far, Brown logged 448 games played. In those contests, he scored 90 goals and 126 assists for 216 total points.
A former sixth-round pick in the 2012 entry draft, Brown played his first four years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He then played three seasons with the Ottawa Senators, where he posted career-highs in points, goals and assists. In his final season with Ottawa (and his last full NHL season in 2021-22), Brown posted 39 points in 64 games.
What this Means for the Future
Because of his limited year last season, this contract for Brown feels like a bit of a gamble. Whether or not he returns as the 20-goal winger he was before last season remains to be seen. He turns 30 years old during this season, so recovering from a major injury sits well within the realm of possibility.
If he finds his former ability, Brown surely lives up to his contract and then some. He looked like someone with top-six potential, a player ready to burst up from mostly a third-line role. If he does this, his new squad will love this deal. If he doesn’t, it remains a low-risk move. At the very worst, Brown can buoy a fourth line to give it a scoring threat. He plays with a lot of energy and logged minutes on both special teams units too (power play and penalty kill). His Swiss Army knife style makes it possible that he provides value in one (or more) of many ways.
Main Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
