Connor Brown's decision to stay with Oilers was an easy one: "I love it there"

Days after a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Connor Brown was adamant that he wanted to re-sign with the Edmonton Oilers.

It was a rollercoaster of a season for the 30-year-old. Coming to Edmonton off of an ACL tear the season prior, it took him 55 games to score his first goal. At that time, his signing appeared to be a dud, though a big playoff performance changed the minds of many.

Brown scored two goals and six points in 19 playoff outings, but even more importantly played a major role in an Oilers penalty-killing group that clicked at a ridiculous 94.3 percent rate.

Thanks to that success, Brown was able to get his wish, signing a one-year, $1 million deal with the Oilers. He recently appeared on the Fan Pregame on Sportsnet 590 The Fan and explained that he wasn’t very interested in entertaining offers from other teams.

“You try to be open, but my heart was pretty much in Edmonton from the get-go,” Brown said. “That organization, the staff, the team, and the fans helped me overcome a lot of adversity coming off a long injury and missing a year. How the run went, I love it there, and that’s where I wanted to be.”

Brown was far from the only Oiler on an expiring contract to re-sign, as management also brought back Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, and Corey Perry. Those signings have helped keep their bottom six intact, while they also added to their top six with some key free-agent additions in Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner.

Though getting back to the Stanley Cup Final will be no easy feat, this current Oilers roster is undoubtedly deeper than what they entered the 2023-24 season with. Having a fully healthy and recovered Brown in the lineup will be even more of a boost in what should be a thrilling season ahead for fans in Edmonton.

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