Breadcrumb Trail Links
Published Jul 03, 2023 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 6 minute read
Ottawa Senators forward Connor Brown (28) and Edmonton Oilers defencemen Ethan Bear (74) chase a loose puck at Rogers Place in this file photo from Dec 4, 2019. Photo by Perry Nelson /USA Today Sports
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The NHL off-season is far from over. Big names free agents like Patrick Kane, Matt Dumba and Vladimir Tarasenko are still on the market, not to mention major trade targets including Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Erik Karlsson, Noah Hanifin, and Brett Pesce.
But the early reviews of the NHL’s summer of 2023 free agent signings are in, and even though the Edmonton Oilers lost more roster players (Kailer Yamamoto, Nick Bjugstad and Klim Kostin) than they gained in Connor Brown, overall Edmonton is still getting positive reviews.
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Other teams such as Carolina and Dallas have won more praise, but the Oilers have found their name on many “winners” lists.
Here are the highlights:
Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star had “guys named Connor” on his winner list. “The Blackhawks went out to get some playmakers (Taylor Hall) and protection (Corey Perry, Nick Foligno) to help first overall pick Connor Bedard adjust to life in the NHL. Connor Brown, meanwhile, signed a cagey deal —worth $4 million to him, but with the cap hit spread over two years in Edmonton because of bonuses — so he could pay with his old Erie Otters pal, Connor McDavid.”
Nick Kypreos on Sportsnet. “I”m not seeing a huge win on any front in Canada, but I like Connor Brown to go back to Edmonton and join up a former teammate, junior standout in Erie, and that’s Connor McDavid.”
“I think it’s a perfect fit,” said Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on the Brown signing: “I think if Connor Brown had said, ‘No,’ then Connor McDavid might have drove to his house, thrown him in the trunk of his car and taken him to Edmonton. I don’t think Connor McDavid was taking ‘No’ for answer on this one.”
Matt Larkin of The Daily Faceoff had the highest praise, with the Oilers on his own winner list: “The Connor Brown contract is a stroke of genius. He slides into what should be a vital role for the Oilers at the barely there cap hit of $775,000, with potential for performance bonuses pushing it up to a $4 million value that would carry into next season… He averages 16 goals and 40 points per 82 games in his career and has a history of tremendous chemistry with Connor McDavid. The pair lit it up together with the OHL’s Erie Otters. Brown is a lovely fit to play the right wing on one of Edmonton’s top two lines, and he’s a renowned shorthanded scoring threat to boot.”
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Shayna Goldman of The Athletic noted: “There’s Connor Brown, which may be one of the best contracts of the day. He’s a perfect fit for Edmonton with his versatility and transitional efforts in mind, but he’s only going to count for $775,000 this year for the cap-strapped Oilers.”
Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic gave the Connor Brown contract a grade of A, with the fit on the Oilers also being an A: “Not every move made today is going to make sense, but this does. This was the logical outcome.”
But not everyone agreed.
One voice of dissent when it came to Holland’s work was Michael Seitz of The Wrightway Sports Network, who had the Oilers on his loser list: “Another year, another failed opportunity at surrounding two of the league’s best players with solid NHL talent. The Oilers essentially stayed the exact same. Edmonton retained Matias Janmark while signing Connor Brown and Lane Pederson. While Connor Brown will play in the top-six and see a bump in production by playing with McDavid and/or Draisaitl, he is coming off major knee surgery. Brown’s career high in points is 43 (2019-20 in 71 games) and career high in goals is 21 (2020-21 in 56 games). I refuse to buy into the team with two generational talents simply because its front office fails to make a solid team around them year in and year out.”
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My take
1. Holland’s final grade can’t be yet be assigned, as he’s got to still get Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod under contract. He’s also said to be bringing in another forward. A rugged forward to help replace Klim Kostin might be the best bet, but good luck finding that player for the NHL minimum.
2. Holland mentioned he’d like to find another tough centre but that’s another difficult talk when all he can offer is that NHL minimum salary, or close to it. Of course, Derek Ryan and Mattias Janmark have played some centre, while Dylan Holloway was an outstanding U.S. college centre. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has also played much of his career as a centre.
3. Short of moving out Warren Foegele, who was a strong two-way player in the second half of the season and playoffs, or trading away Cody Ceci, who was solid in 2021-22 but struggled with injury last season, Holland had little wiggle room in terms of the salary cap. He’s partly to blame for that, having handed out many big contracts in his time in Edmonton. But he did indeed find a sharp way to improve the roster with the Brown contract and its delayed payment mechanism. Brown is a good bet to be a much superior player than Kailer Yamamoto in the Top 6, at least at the level Yamo played last season.
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In the past few years, Holland has brought in Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Mattias Ekholm and now Brown. I see that as the Oil GM kicking butt. Of course if one other big signing doesn’t pan out, if Jack Campbell doesn’t get it together, much of Holland’s good work will be undone.
4. For years fans of the Oilers cried out for two things, for this squad to be packed with “real NHL players” and support by “over ripe prospects.” For years, that was not to be. But up and down the roster the Oilers now have real NHL players. In fact, every single player on the roster is a real NHLer, save for a handful of young players still looking to break in, namely Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway and Raphael Lavoie.
But even Broberg, Holloway and Lavoie are a step up from some of the top prospects that Edmonton used to employ in that they’re not fresh out of the package. They’re from the over-ripe bin, all seasoned Euro and AHL-level players, who have had success in these difficult leagues. They should all be ready to challenge for ice time. They’re good bets, not rash hopes.
5. Goaltending is still an issue, but Stuart Skinner was reliable last season and both he and Campbell should benefit immensely if Edmonton plays more of a zone defence, making sure to have at least one d-man guarding the front of the net at all times, as Vegas did in their playoff win over Edmonton.
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The current Edmonton group of d-men could excel in such a system, much to the benefit of the goalies, who will have far more help dealing with rebounds.
Jonathan Marchessault of Vegas said that his team knew how to beat the Oilers man-to-man system, merely by throwing pucks to the net, with the VGK forwards then charging the net, only having to beat their own check in order to get off a Grade A shot if the puck bounced to them. But if the Oilers adapt and always have a d-man in front of the crease in case an Oilers defender gets beat to the net, that major flaw will be become much less of one.
At the Cult of Hockey
McCURDY: Last dance for Ken Holland?
LEAVINS: Oilers lock down their latest Top-6 forward in Connor Brown — 9 Things
STAPLES: Twitter reacts to Connor Brown signing
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