Coach Knoblauch is sending a hard message to Connor Brown
Ahead of tonight's game against the Los Angeles Kings, the Edmonton Oilers made a surprising move when they recalled forward Raphael Lavoie from the AHL. For Lavoie to draw into the lineup tonight, another player would have to be scratched - and it appears to be Connor Brown.
Lavoie joined the team at practice today, where head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that he would be playing in tonight's game on the fourth line right wing, which is currently Connor Brown's assignment.
Before the game in San Jose, Connor Brown continued to fall down the roster and found himself on the fourth line for the first time this season. Now, it appears he's being scratched in favour of a rookie with six NHL games of experience. Playing tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, the team needs their best lineup to secure a win - and clearly Knoblauch doesn't believe Brown is a part of that equation right now.
It's another tough blow for Brown, but his subpar play has absolutely warranted the decreased role one the team. Brown was brought into Edmonton as their most significant move this offseason, where they hoped he would bring secondary scoring, good penalty killing, and a familiarity with McDavid. Instead, Brown has had a disastrous season, scoring only two assists in 25 games. Getting scratched tonight in favour of the rookie Lavoie sends a message that no matter what a players' salary is, they need to be contributing to the team, or they won't play.
| POLL | ||
What should the Oilers do with Connor Brown? | ||
| Send him down to minors/waivers | 196 | 35.5 % |
| Trade him | 175 | 31.7 % |
| Keep playing him | 126 | 22.8 % |
| Keep scratching him | 55 | 10 % |
| List of polls | ||
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