Why the Oilers Should Consider Sitting Connor Brown

The expectation in Edmonton is that the Oilers will be a Stanley Cup contender. They’re off to a lousy start, but there’s no panic amongst the players, even though some juggled lines heading into Game 3 versus the Nashville Predators might suggest otherwise. Among the key changes, the Oilers put Leon Draisaitl back with Connor McDavid, a move which demotes recently-signed Connor Brown.

While the changes are likely being done to spark the entire team and take advantage of McDavid and Draisaitl’s utter dominance of the Predators in recent years, Brown’s demotion to the third line does raise a couple of interesting questions. He’s looked largely invisible in two regular season games and while that wouldn’t be a huge issue for most NHLers, Brown doesn’t have a contract similar to most NHLers.

In fact, Brown has the kind of contract where patience isn’t necessarily a luxury the team can literally afford.

A unique provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) provided General Manager Ken Holland with the opportunity to sign Brown to a contract structured with performance-based bonuses. According to PuckPedia, this provision allows players with at least 400 NHL Games Played, who are signing a one-year contract after a prolonged injury, to negotiate a deal like his, one where he can be signed for the league minimum, but he gets a big bonus for games played.

In Brown’s case, he makes another $3,225,000 at 10 games played mark, a cap hit that will be applied to next season’s team. It is a given that he’ll hit the 10-game mark should he stay healthy, but the Oilers lose all leverage outside of shuffling him around the lineup if he continues to play and not be effective. Should he struggle, sitting him might be a viable option.

Why Would the Oilers Sit Him Now?

Any player who isn’t considered a “star” is likely prone to being a healthy scratch. Just recently, Jeff Petry was benched by the Red Wings and Anthony Mantha was sat by Washington. If the Oilers elect to have Brown watch from the press box for a game, some of this will be message-sending. Some of it will be to simply give him a break.

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Remember, Brown missed most of last season with a serious injury. It could be taking him a little extra time to get up and running with the speed of the NHL. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to ease him back in, especially if he looks fatigued.

The long-term play here is to remind him that every game that goes by where he doesn’t hit the 10-game mark is a day the Oilers save on what will be a problematic bonus hit next year. If he wants that money, he needs to produce.

If the team wants to send a message early, they need to decide to do it immediately.

Next: Oilers Game 3 Preview: Getting Back on Track vs. Predators