At the beginning of this season the Connor Brown signing looked like a disaster by Edmonton, but by the end of the playoffs, he redeemed himself with incredible play.
When asked about his pending free agency, Brown said that he absolutely wants to stay in Edmonton, saying that his heart is with this team. He mentioned the fans' patience and even their celebration of his long awaited first goal
It's incredibly rare to hear a player completely lose all negotiating power in free agency by admitting that they love the team and want to stay, and it speaks to how much Brown truly loved this year as an Oiler.
To be frank, his play was mostly awful in the first half of the season. Slowly though he recovered from the ACL injury, and by the playoffs, his speed and tenacity in the bottom six was a huge asset for the Oilers. There's no doubt that he'll be better next season too, not having to rehab from a terrible injury like last year.
If Connor Brown is willing to return to the Oilers at a reduced salary for next season, the team should absolutely re-sign the 30 year old winger. After only scoring 12 points all season, Brown put up 6 points in 17 playoff games. That kind of performance when it was needed most, and shaking this kind of heart and dedication to the city, is absolutely the kind of player Edmonton needs in their bottom six.
Oilers president Jeff Jackson was Brown's former agent, so they shouldn't have problem getting a deal done when free agency opens. Hopefully it's a team-friendly deal, and Brown can be a fixture in the bottom six in future Cup runs.
