The Ottawa Senators have avoided arbitration with Connor Brown and inked the forward to a three-year contract just before his scheduled hearing on Thursday. As per multiple reports, the new contract is worth $3.6 million per season and represents a good but fair deal for the Senators and for Brown.
Senators GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement:
We’re very happy to have Connor back under contract. He brings a veteran presence to our lineup and is a player who can play in different situations. He’s durable, has a strong work ethic with great practice habits and is regarded as a leader by his teammates. His ability to play up and down the lineup while producing offensively is especially valuable to us as we continue our transition towards being a consistent winner.
Brown’s scheduled arbitration case was set for a few hours after the deal was done and had it gone ahead, he would have received a one-year award that would have resulted in him being an unrestricted free agent at the end of that time. He’ll now be with the team until the end of the 2022-23 season. The settlement comes right in between the two sides ask as Brown had filed for $4.8 million award and the Senators were hoping for $2.25 million. The structure of the deal is $2.8 million in year one,, $4 million in year two and, $4 million in year three.
Brown Has Worked Out Well For Senators
Brown was acquired by Ottawa in July of 2019 from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a deal that sent defenseman Cody Ceci back to Toronto. Ceci recently signed with the Penguins on a team-friendly “show-me” contract and struggling with the Leafs.
Clearly, the trade was a win for Ottawa as Brown scored a career-high 43 points this past season with the Senators and averaged more than 20 minutes a night to lead their entire forward group. He kills penalties and plays on the power play. It’s a good deal for the Senators, especially if they want him to keep playing at that pace.
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