Connor Brown sticking with Oilers on cheap one-year contract

The Edmonton Oilers are keeping one of their unsung playoff heroes around.

As reported by PuckPedia and Edmonton Sports Talk’s Jason Gregor, Connor Brown will be returning to Edmonton on a one-year contract worth $1 million.

Oilers sign Connor Brown for one year at $1m.

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) July 1, 2024

The #LetsGoOilers are re-signing UFA Connor Brown for 1 year $1M.

12P in 71GP.

Rep’d by Dave Gagner @wassermanhockey https://t.co/DR9v9yS7DO

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 1, 2024

While it’s not the biggest splash of free agency, it’s a nice deal for a player still fighting for his place in the NHL, while not exactly breaking the bank for a team looking to navigate the offseason after falling one game short of winning the Stanley Cup this year.

The regular season was admittedly a struggle for the veteran forward in his first go-around with Edmonton, after previous stops with the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ottawa Senators before heading to Alberta.

The Oilers picked up Brown as a bit of a reclamation project, having played just four games in 2022-23 with the Capitals before suffering an ACL injury that would sideline him for the rest of the year.

Brown scored just four goals and 12 points in 71 games, though he picked up his pace with two goals and four assists in 17 playoff contests. It actually took Brown 55 games to register his first goal with the team, but he doesn’t take it lightly that the organization has continued to stick by him.

“This is where I want to be,” said Brown at his end-of-season media availability. “My heart is here with everything we’ve done and the fans. How they treated me when I finally scored was great, and it is a great place to be.”

Brown has lengthy history with two of the organization’s most powerful figures, having played junior hockey with an Erie Otters side that featured a teenaged Connor McDavid and current Oilers bench boss Kris Knoblauch as head coach.

Free agency officially opens at 10 am MT today.

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