Keep Brown or Let him go?

[Spawn]

Bonus applies to next year.

"Brown's $775,000 salary counts toward the 2023-24 cap. The bonus dollars, $3,225,000 and easily attainable, will be kicked on to the 2024-25 cap. For the Oilers, it was the only way to get a player of Brown's quality (a top-six winger with a wide range of skills) on the roster."

I know bonuses apply next year. He was paid $4M this year and was brought in to be a $4M player. He failed miserably at that during the regular season, and still isn't contributing at that level now.

He's a 4th liner. Bring him back for league min. Fine. But lets not act like everyone needs to eat crow because he has one assist in the finals.

 

[tiger_80]

I know bonuses apply next year. He was paid $4M this year and was brought in to be a $4M player. He failed miserably at that during the regular season, and still isn't contributing at that level now.

He's a 4th liner. Bring him back for league min. Fine. But lets not act like everyone needs to eat crow because he has one assist in the finals.

I'd say he's better than a 4th liner, at least in the playoffs. He's quite hard to play against and kills penalties. But very far from being a top 6 forward he was paid to be.

 

[Chet Manley]

He's been a very good 4th liner and penalty killer this playoffs. What's a small sample size like that worth on the open market? I'd be upset at anything over $2m even though it's a pretty good gamble that he's finally back to NHL form. Oilers lost the first gamble at $4M and don't need a repeat. Hopefully Brown wants to stick around and signs a contract with a lot lower risk to the team.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Bonus applies to next year.

"Brown's $775,000 salary counts toward the 2023-24 cap. The bonus dollars, $3,225,000 and easily attainable, will be kicked on to the 2024-25 cap. For the Oilers, it was the only way to get a player of Brown's quality (a top-six winger with a wide range of skills) on the roster."

So he made 4M, but he wasn't paid the full amount. I'm not sure how that makes it better.

 

[Barrsy]

I know bonuses apply next year. He was paid $4M this year and was brought in to be a $4M player. He failed miserably at that during the regular season, and still isn't contributing at that level now.

He's a 4th liner. Bring him back for league min. Fine. But lets not act like everyone needs to eat crow because he has one assist in the finals.

I think the Oilers went into the year not really giving a shit how he was during the year, knowing full well how long it can take to recover from an injury of the sort he got. Ive heard it too many times that it can take over a year.
So when one looks at it the bitching & whining during the year, they were uneducated takes on the subject. The Oilers paid zero for getting a player of his quality for the post season. Which has being HUGE. They pay for it next year (only in terms of salary cap) but thats the price they pay for getting a player of his present quality for nothing.

 

[belair]

I think the Oilers went into the year not really giving a shit how he was during the year, knowing full well how long it can take to recover from an injury of the sort he got. Ive heard it too many times that it can take over a year.
So when one looks at it the bitching & whining during the year were uneducated takes on the subject. The Oilers paid zero for getting a player of his quality for the post season. Which has being HUGE. They pay for it next year (only in terms of salary cap) but thats the price they pay for getting a player of his present quality for nothing.

If anything, the underperformance during the regular season is the only thing realistically dropping the future cap number.

 

[guymez]

He's been a very good 4th liner and penalty killer this playoffs. What's a small sample size like that worth on the open market? I'd be upset at anything over $2m even though it's a pretty good gamble that he's finally back to NHL form. Oilers lost the first gamble at $4M and don't need a repeat. Hopefully Brown wants to stick around and signs a contract with a lot lower risk to the team.

I would say that Brown and his line have been the teams 3rd line.
They (Brown, Henrique and Janmark) can be used in any situation and still dictate the play.
They have been much more reliable and much more impactful than any other bottom 6 line Knoblauch has put together and Brown has been a big part of that.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

"mailing it in". As I said, came off nearly 2 years from no hockey due to injury, and you think people are just wind up toys that are ready to go whenever. Apparently you're superhuman and can overcome stuff like that. Okay.

As for playing simply "okay" during the playoffs and especially the last few weeks, I'm not sure you've been watching the same games as everyone else. But don't let your personal dislike of a player get in the way of any judgement.

Every single Oiler will be worth their cap hit if/when they win the cup.

 

[Stoneman89]

So he made 4M, but he wasn't paid the full amount. I'm not sure how that makes it better.

Look at it this way. He struggled this year for sure, and that's tough to take. He qualified for the bonus with reaching a certain number of games this year. (which I think was a dumb carrot to put out there for a guy in his situation, but Holland did that, but that's another matter)And even though he maybe gets to cash that bonus this year (it's Katz's dough, not mine, so I don't care), the main thing is that it tagged onto next years cap, nothing we can do about that now or going forward. So, the way I look at it, if we sign him for cheap, and he can keep up his skating, level, etc that he's now finally been able to achieve, and bag 15-20 goals along with elite PK play and chemistry with Janmark, I think he will be well worth it. We're into the cap bonus anyhow.

I know bonuses apply next year. He was paid $4M this year and was brought in to be a $4M player. He failed miserably at that during the regular season, and still isn't contributing at that level now.

He's a 4th liner. Bring him back for league min. Fine. But lets not act like everyone needs to eat crow because he has one assist in the finals.

Once again, these guys aren't robots. With his issues, in hindsight, I think we should have expected it would take a while for him to get up to speed. No one was happy with the way things went for him this year, and he'd likely be at the top of that pile. But for people to say he "mailed it in", I think is bullshit.

 

[Spawn]

Once again, these guys aren't robots. With his issues, in hindsight, I think we should have expected it would take a while for him to get up to speed. No one was happy with the way things went for him this year, and he'd likely be at the top of that pile. But for people to say he "mailed it in", I think is bullshit.

Let’s be 100% clear though. He never “got up to speed” not even now. He was brought in to be contributor in the top 6. Not a decent 4th liner chipping in 1 goal in the playoffs and killing penalties.

 

[McJadeddog]

He's been a very good 4th liner and penalty killer this playoffs. What's a small sample size like that worth on the open market? I'd be upset at anything over $2m even though it's a pretty good gamble that he's finally back to NHL form. Oilers lost the first gamble at $4M and don't need a repeat. Hopefully Brown wants to stick around and signs a contract with a lot lower risk to the team.

Anything over $1.5 and you walk. Brown is a borderline 3rd line winger who can PK and has an injury history. You can find guys like that for $1.5 and under fairly often, especially with the allure of playing with McDrai and a team that just went to the finals.

 

[guymez]

Let’s be 100% clear though. He never “got up to speed” not even now. He was brought in to be contributor in the top 6. Not a decent 4th liner chipping in 1 goal in the playoffs and killing penalties.

I dont think that you have an understanding of the extent of his injury and how long the potential recovery time is. The injury he had can take a year to recover from before a player has returned to the pre-injury level of play.
Historically Brown was a middle 6 winger...not unlike Foegele in many respects.
The team knew that there was that risk with signing Brown after that injury....everyone understood that. Well...almost everyone.
The point being the signing had a high level of risk to it.
The team had very little cap room so trying to find a middle 6 player that would be willing to take a bonus laden contract was extremely limited. When you have such little cap space you have to get creative and take risks with player signings. Brown was an example of that.
I am not defending the contract by any means but the contract doesnt change the reality of the circumstances.
The only thing standing in the way of not recognizing the reality of Browns injury (and its long term effects) would invlove being uninformed or being in denial or just being stubborn.

There is an argument that it was a bad risk...sure thats obvious enough just based on how long it took for Brown to get his feet under him.
All that being said now that Brown has returned to form I doubt very much that his point totals remain underwhelming. History refects that.
Lastly...Brown is playing an important role in this cup run. That shouldnt be overlooked.

 

[Barrsy]

We got an elite 3rd/4th liner in the playoffs for nothing. Zero. Nada. He had zero impact on our cap this year. By ANY objective analysis it has turned out as good as it possibly could have. To deny that is to bitch for bitching sake. Because you want to be right.

 

[timekeep]

Keep him

 

[Spawn]

I take it all back

 

[On The Prowl]

I think we all can agree he has been worth that bonus after all.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I'm a Connor Brown fan.

Worth every penny of his contract.

 

[Xelebes]

HOF Fourth Liner

 

[La Bamba]

I always said that Brown's contract would be justified if he performed in the playoffs... he's earned it now. Regardless of what happens, I won't be mad about the 3.25M bonus overage

 

[bucks_oil]

TOPPEP

 

[GreeningOil]

Brown is him.

 

[syz]

You have to make him an offer and hope he takes it. But this time 3rd/4th liner money instead of hopeful 2nd liner.

Unfortunately other teams are going to be all over him and Janmark after these playoffs. Both will have offers, it'll come down to whether or not they want to go for another cup run.

 

[Ol' Jase]

Let’s be 100% clear though. He never “got up to speed” not even now. He was brought in to be contributor in the top 6. Not a decent 4th liner chipping in 1 goal in the playoffs and killing penalties.

Still? Really?

Know you’re loving it, man. Tonight was epic.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

Resign him cheap for a few years as a bargain contract. Expensive next year but cheap going forward. Semi reduce his cap hit over 3-4 years to like 1.25m avg.

 

[unicornBLOOD]

He's playing like a very good 3rd line winger/penalty specialist. IMO, he will have no problem getting a multi year deal at 3 million per plus. The cap is going up, and he's showing up at the biggest time of the year. He looks faster than ever, and is starting to show some of the skill that had earlier in his career, before the injury, with the Leafs and the Sens. If they can make it work with the cap, I'd love to keep him, maybe a 3 year deal at 10 million total. Rewind a month ago, and I didn't think I'd want him back at even half that. He gambled on himself, and ever since he got a shot in playoffs, he's been very effective.