The Edmonton Oilers had a fantastic run with CHL forwards during the early and middle portion of last decade. Look at Connor McDavid’s number! And Taylor Hall! What a run of talent. Some of that talent faded away, but the Oilers are pushing for Stanley with three of the six names above still on the roster.
One name that came along later is Connor Brown. He played for the Erie Otters of the OHL, and in two of those years Connor McDavid was his teammate. At age 17, he posted just .78 points-game but led the Otters in scoring. A year later, he once again led the team in points. Connor McDavid was 15 that season and finished second in scoring. In his final year of junior, Brown scored 128 points in 68 games, the highest total by an Erie player.
Brown’s offense was probably obscured a little in his draft year, but coming out of junior it was clear he had enough offense to project as a possible NHL player. He was a sixth round pick who took just 110 AHL games to make it to the NHL, and that’s a tell. A sixth round pick making the show so quickly suggests some outstanding amateur scouting.
Great third-line NHL forwards are always fantastic junior players. The junior checkers simply don’t bring enough skill to make it all the way to the NHL. Brown had plenty of skill and two-way acumen. He scored 20 goals in his first full NHL campaign.
These days, Brown chips in on offense while playing an important role as a two-way winger and penalty killer. He is scoring 2.07 points-60 at five-on-five this spring, an exceptional number for a player slotted in as No. 3 RW on the team. His most common linemates this playoff season are Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic.
That may change. With Zach Hyman out of the lineup, the depth chart may shuffle now that Brown appears ready to play. He’s bona fide as an offensive contributor. He’s an important part of the game plan for this final. Pretty sure.
At noon today, we kickstart Final week with Rachel Doerrie and Jason Gregor. Declan Krueger will talk MMA, we’ll chat CFL, NFL, NBA and MLB, but the primary focus is the Oilers and what may come. Noon today, Sports 1440.
New for The Athletic: Five reasons why the Edmonton Oilers should win the Stanley Cup
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6395998/2025/06/02/oilers-stanley-cup-nhl-playoffs-2025/
i believe Frederic has been hobbled and we have yet to see what he’s capable of. I’m hoping the rest has been beneficial we need him and Kane to control Bennett and Tkachuk.
When was the last time the Oilers were at home for game 1 of the SCF? 1990? Lucky wife…
1988, When game 4 was also at home.
In last years finals I truly believe Oilers win if they are healthy, particularly our top players.
Thus, this year I went on about getting some toughness, with the goal to arrive at playoffs at 100% health. They did not really worry about toughness, instead they seemed to disengage from hitting. It kind of worked. They still experienced a late round of injuries and illness but seemed to get back to healthy just in time to turn it around with the Kings.
However it came about, we are here, Brilliant hockey to reduce number of games in the series. Healthy or close to healthy (minus Hyman) across the line up.
Florida is tough, but I don’t think the Oil will try to bang them up. They need 4 wins, and you get those from putting the puck in the net. Oilers healthy and ready are an absolute load.
I think we saw the dawn of load management in hockey. It looks different than basketball. It’s called shut down your stars with 2 weeks to go, and value health over positioning in standings.
A look ahead to next season’s NAmateurs
The Knight twain of O’Reilly and Nicholl are the only locks to return to the OHL–and even then, there’s the possibility of the latter going the NCAA route if he is so inclined.
Akey, Day and Clattenburg are all age-eligible to return to junior, but none are likely given that Carrick’s departure opens room for Akey in the A, and t’other two have already played pro.
Confirmed collegiates are Wakely (UMass-Lowell), Fischer (Notre Dame) and Berry (St. Thomas).
So basically a quintet for next season before adding thru draft/trade, and any deletions thru trade.
Important dates:
June 27 + 28: The NHL entry draft, though really just the 28th for us Oilers fans since the team currently isn’t slated to pick until #83, along with picks #192 and #224.
July 2: The CHL import draft, now expanded to three rounds. Vinni could conceivably be selected, along with any Euros the Oilers might take in the entry draft.
August 15: Deadline for the Oilers to sign Määttä, Münzenberger, Copponi and Mazura; otherwise they become FA’s.
September TBD: Prospecting begins anew.
Thank you for all the prospect updates and information you have provided to us, Tarkus.
Hope you have a wonderful summer ahead.
KHL dates?
Or are they a bit long in the tooth to stiil be considered prospects?
No NAmateur potential, unless one gets drafted later this month.
Derp.
The answer was in the question.
Keep on keepin’ on, thanks for the updates.
Thanks Tarkus, for your dedicated prospecting.
See you next year, Paddle Prairie time!
How can Bet365 allow a bet on “who will be passed the Stanley Cup first” when something like that is so easily manipulated? Wins / losses, ok, whatever. But good god you’re betting on this? What a wild way to enjoy a sport.
I do however understand that Daily Faceoff will spend 6 minutes on the over/under as sports betting underwrites the majority of “non-traditional’ hockey media.
I realise that the personnel on both rosters has changed somewhat from last season, but the Oilers outscored the Panthers in the 2024 Finals 23-18 with Draisaitl registering 0 goals and 3 assists, Kane playing only 2 games (zero points) and Nugent-Hopkins getting just 2 points.
Yes Hyman is out for the series, but with the 3 guys above healthy and firing on all cylinders the Oilers have the advantage.
If the Oilers win a cup would Nurse be more amenable to waiving his NTC?
Don’t see why, particularly if McDavid extends. Nurse and McDavid were groomsmen at each others weddings. Maybe not as tight as McDavid/Draisaitl (not that any outsiders would know for sure though), but they are not just teammates.
If they win one, maybe they want to see if they can match the Crosby/Malkin/Letang trio’s record for years as teammates. Throw in Nuge, and they may set a record for 4 teammates as well exceeding Toews, Kane, Keith and Seabrook at 12 seasons. That would happen at the start of 27/28, when Darnell’s protection gets downgraded to a 10 team trade list.
This is the dream scenario!
Can’t see Nurse agreeing to a move at this point. And he does have value to the team when paired with a complementary player. The contract is tough, but he is a solid 3/4.
Darnell and his wife (Mikayla) also have two small children and have put down roots as a family in the community.
We don’t know what we don’t know but I don’t imagine Nurse has any intention of uprooting his family.
Bouchard-Nurse-Leon-Connor-Nuge-Hyman This is your core whether you like it or not. Why would they leave a top 6 or better team? Everyone has their personal reasons yet I don’t see a break-up of these 6 for the lengths of their contracts.
When has OP ever said he didn’t like this as the team’s core, or even that they aren’t the core?
I just had this conversation last night with a buddy. Great minds…..
I wish but no
It’s a buyout proof, trade proof contract that we are stuck with for another 5 years
Good with me. A Top-4 playoff dman at 10% of the cap is just fine. DN killing it this year in the playoffs may be just the tonic he needs to keep it tight in the regular season as well.
Not trade proof for the whole time. Big assumption to assume that his contract is untradeable once the NTC 10 team trade list kicks in for 27/28.
Well a 10 team no trade list with that cap hit is essentially a no trade list
Sorry I meant a 10 team trade list is essentially a no trade list
Not much different than Seth Jones 3 months ago……
With that said, unlike the Hawks, while I’m sure the org agrees he’s a up to $2MM overpaid on the cap, they are very happy he’s on the team and not looking to move him.
Actually very different than Seth Jones 3 months ago.
Seth Jones didn’t want to wait for the rebuild to finish which will take at least a few more years. Oilers are heading to their second consecutive cup final.
But if Oilers were once again drafting in the lottery I’m sure Nurse would be happy to waive.
Very similar to Seth Jones vis-a-vis the player and his value relative to cap hit.
Not a chance. And why would the Oilers even ask? They won’t.
I am proud of the team for steam rolling their way back to finals. That said, I would be lying if I said I was not scared.
Florida is very good, I think better than last year, and I really hate them so my precious heart is truly going to break if we lose again.
Caggiula heading to the Swiss League – signed with Lausanne HC.
Great for him, hes a gamer.
Thanks
I irrationally love Connor Brown. He is the most hockey-bro of all hockey bros. The Zyns stuffed in his zip. From his interview about tossing Janny a “shitburger” to rolling out of the cabinet after hiding for 20 minutes(!) the guy is just so lovable.
My son and I traveled down to Miami for game 7 last year and ended up pre-gaming with some pretty connected guys who were going to the post-win party in Lauderdale and they invited us along.
My only wish was to drink out of the Cup with Connor Brown but alas….
Per Spec, Knob confirms:
1) McDavid will be a full participant in tomorrow’s practice (no practice today); and
2) Connor Brown is good to go for game 1.
I generally like him as a reporter, but Rishaug does this a fair bit. Wants to be the first to get the news out, even if its no news, so long as it elicits a reaction
McDavid talked to the trainer and left practice after 10 minutes – the rest of the team skated for 30 minutes.
Of course Rishaug is going to put that out there – that is news and its his job to report that news.
Really? It’s clickbait until you have all the facts, and he didn’t wait until he had all the facts. He just wanted the story out first – that’s my perception of how it came out, and it created unnecessary concern to get extra clicks. I don’t blame him, it’s the nature of social media. But I wouldn’t personally call that strong journalism.
It’s not “strong journalism” it’s a moment by moment accounting of the life and times of McDavid. I would say it’s not journalism at all.
I would also say journalism, especially strong journalism is hard to come by in these social media driven times.
Those were the facts at the time and, when they had more information, the moment they spoke to the coach, they put that out there.
We have intel about everything “different” that happens with any player at any skate – even in the regular season, let alone the playoffs let alone Connor McDavid leaving a skate 2 days before the SCF.
Its not “strong journalism” but is reporting in real time and I’m positive, his employer, TSN expects him to report in real time.
I’m sure they do. I never said the employer didn’t want it. But I didn’t see other observers at the practice post it. They waited for more information to understand what was happening first. Rishaug didn’t, and then we got only half of the story.
All I’m saying is that in today’s day and age, we can preach a little patience and information before drawing conclusions
Gregor posted it.
LT, where’s the 5v5 P/60 love?!
(I learned about the value of this stat from you all those years ago)
(Skinner 5.27, Ekholm 4.02)
If I recall, these are pretty good numbers 🙂
Interesting that Perry is only 1.35. His PP damage in the Hyman role has been key, and every goal he’s contributed to has felt huge in the moment.
Arvidsson shining and should not have been removed.
Also nice to have Brown back. I don’t know if people talked about it, but with Kapanen taking on a PK role last game, I think he might share duties with Podkolzin along with McDavid, Brown, RNH, Janmark and Henrique
Foegele was 1.26 P/60 in the Oilers series, and 1.58 P/60 last playoffs for the Oil. If we’re comparing…
Very impressive numbers. IMO the D deserve the most credit for the improved secondary scoring this run.
The 2025 Oilers D are so much better at breaking the puck out and holding the line. It leads to much better chances and second opportunities. I loved Des but his primary skill was being large. Compared to Walman/Kling walking the line. Huge difference.
It’s true. It’s also a small sample size in the playoffs, but it’s also impressive to see how some forwards are producing within limited minutes. Some of that is also matchups. Despite Perry playing with McDavid, it also means he is a 40 year old facing tougher competition 5v5 compared to others
I need to stop reading so many series previews from our side of the media.
At this point I predict Oilers in 3!
If the oilers had a Pisani award for stepping it up in the playoffs, Brown would get my vote. He’s been solid on both sides of the rink, winning races to the puck, cutring off passes, and now seems to be seeing the ice better than ever when making plays. Definition of two-way winger who can score. I know we slightly overpayed for him last year considering injury history, but the fact we signed him for $1 mill this year was one of the better lesser-heralded JJ transactions of the off-season.
Pickard would get my vote. He stepped up.
Solid choice, but I was thinking of forwards for the Pisani award. If we’re going for ’06 comparables, I think Pickard gets the Markkanen award for “career backup goalie stepping up and giving the team a chance after the guy in front of him shits the bed”.
If the oilers had a Pisani award for stepping it up in the playoffs, Barkov would get HH’s vote.
If the Oilers had a Pisani award – > Now there’s an IDEA!!!
Kulak would be a yearly candidate for this award as well. He has elevated his game in every playoff since we acquired him
Crazy Connor Brown plays like Crazy Arthur Brown sings — with controlled abandon fueled 8 cups of joe
I had some difficulty determining when the GP was captured with the chart today, I assume it was in Yamamoto’s 2nd year?
Also for LT, and to play a little bit of devils advocate here with it being June and less draft coverage this year. When you say that Brown who lead the Otters in points for 3 years in a row and setting a points record in his final year, is it really ‘outstanding amateur scouting’ for a 6th rounder?
I gotta say, someone with that type of point production, on a highly scouted team alongside an upcoming generational talent, he would be much higher on my list, and likely not even fall that late in the draft. I suspect this is a clue to your pick for Pisani, I’ll stick with Podkolzin.
He was drafted after his first year, played on a terrible team. I do think it was a great drafting job. Brown was on a bad team, but wasn’t a bad player.
Understood… that totally changes my view, thanks!
I’m expecting Brown to start on a line with Nuge and McDavid if Coach K doesn’t go nuclear to start. I expect he won’t as he’ll match McDavid’s line against Tkachuk’s and Draisaitl’s against Barkov’s.
Howard Berger
@Berger_BYTES
BREAKING: #Leafs GM Brad Treliving will try to arrange a trade for Auston Matthews.
Bank on it… https://bit.ly/3ZJWEpv
Slow news day – this is just one man’s opinion, not official Leafs policy.
Can’t see leafs winning any trade there
Not too long ago, the verbal from Leafs media was that trading Matthews for McDavid would be a loss in value. So really, any trade of the “top” player in the NHL results in losing a trade.
Bank on TO regretting it. Problem is, put any of these guys on a veteran team where how hockey is played is established and they are going to be sooo good. TO cannot win a trade like this. Keep the core. They had their best year, taking panthers to 7 is a good showing.
But then again, what do I care If TO blows it up.
— it bugged me to no end my leaf buddies and leaf media with 8 years of “McD has to go. It’s the right thing to do. Oil wasted him. He needs to be a winner”
— Of course the solution was he needs to come to Toronto: he’s from Toronto blah blah.
— I can’t tell you have many texts I’ve sent today to those same people winding them up : “Matthews is being wrecked in Toronto”. “He needs to go to a winner”. “he’s American he needs to go to a market that matters”
oeeeeewwwww!
Haha. Payback suckers
Ya. Blowing it up while 3 of the core 4 are in their prime seems like cutting off one’s nose to spite their face. This presumption that Toronto can simply use the cap space to attract the best free agents is flawed. High taxes. Fishbowl with fans demanding cup or bust. Optics of losing so often. What high level talent are they going to sign that’s better than what they currently have?
What high level talent cap they sign you ask? Especially if all the good players are vacating?
I know I would. Send him to LA.
Numerous reports have LA as a leading candidate to land Marner.
Holland will be all in money and assets are no object. I expect L.A cupboards are going to get ransacked at 75 cents on the dollar. L.A was a Byfield brain cramp away from knocking out the Oilers. In 2 weeks after we win the Cup hockey analyst will be saying L.A by far was the Oilers toughest test.
Doesn’t mean they couldn’t also get Matthews. They could send Byfield, Kempe, Clarke. Then sign Marner and have a reunion. They could all live in Biebers LA house. Assuming he has one.
This would be the time to test the market for Matthews. He would likely leave in three years anyways.
The Leafs could likely get a haul.
Yep…agree.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Utah makes a pitch since their owner apparently wants to make a big splash this offseason.
They do have some very promising young centres in Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton but Matthews would be a marquee attraction there.
With the 3rd overall pick (C James Hagens?) and a total of 26 picks over the next 3 years, they have all the needed ammunition to be vey aggressive.
Yeah, a Lindros-like package could work, but, if Matthews wants to win soon, he’ll veto going to a gutted team. It’s gotta be a star for star deal like Tkachuk-Huberdeau. Not many US franchises with that piece – Minnesota, Bos, NJ, Vegas… I doubt Colorado makes that mistake twice!
Matthews will control his destination and I wouldn’t be surprised if he opts for a team that doesn’t have the incessant media attention of places like Toronto.
Connor Brown will bring fire.
— I looked up Kailer as I saw the 53 GP. Seems he got into 12 games this year 354 in all
— I remember they put him on 1st line game 1 with McD when he was like 18. Looked terrified standing there as they sang the anthem on game 1 : and also looked 14 years old…
— Decent career. Just couldn’t adjust from being on scoring line to a pesky winger 200 ft player.
That little flip pass he made to 97 against LA to put them away, followed by a supporting role in a legendary playoff goal celebration… a lot of players play a lot of years and never reach that level of glory.
Loved Kailer’s fight and skill but he’s a good example of why size / weight matters. He wore out early with injuries.
Lots of smaller players have thrived in the NHL Fleury-St.Louis-Gallagher etc these players were built like brick shithouse. For Yamo to be effective he needs to mix it up on the boards and in front of the net which took a toll on him. Surprisingly it was his hands that let him down easily could of been a 30 goal scorer on a few occasions.
Agree with most of this – just posted along the same lines.
Have to admire his jam. There isn’t a shortage of skilled hockey players in the world, there’s a shortage of NHL quality skill players, and a big part of it is skating and size. Yama didn’t have good enough boots to be 153
Yamo required the tenacity in his game in order to be successful in the NHL. He had to play on the inside in order to be successful.
He just wasn’t quite skilled enough or quick enough to be effective without playing that well – his body couldn’t handle playing that way consistently. He wasn’t just small dude, he was a super light dude. A guy like Arvy is small but has girth to him that Yamo doesn’t. Similar with Matt Savoie.
Hope the break let him heal up. Seems like he was on maintenance days between game before his concussion for a while
Brown was fully practicing all through playoffs before the hit to the head, I”m pretty sure.
In addition to his 2-way responsibility, PK and increasingly helpful chipping in, this dude seems like a great locker room guy. I love Connor Brown and he’s becoming a must re-sign.
At $1MM, this is a big value contract – yes, I know there was a cap penalty for the bonus overage but the contracts are distinct.
Here is hoping he’s willing to re-sign around the $2MM mark.
Vet, speedy, PKs, responsible, good with the other players – yeah, he should be a re-signing, and hopefully is motivated to make it work with the Oilers too. I’ve seen Blue Bullet’s guess at a 25-26 roster, and I think there is the cap space to fit Brown in.
I do think they’ll need to move one contracted forward out – likely Arvidsson. I understand he can say no but I have a feeling he may be open to it.
Bouch will be on the $10.5MM range – could be a bit more (could also be a bit less if they can use the “RFA years” as cheaper years to bring it down a bit.
I’d like to bring Brown and Klingberg back if both will take reasonable deals in the $2MM range.
I don’t think Klingberg is a must as all the other d-men are under contract so that leaves the team with Stecher/Emberson as 7/8 – but he’s been so valuable
I was playing with the tool on Puck pedia and I had to trade away Arvidsson to make it work. I signed Perry 1x1m, Brown 3×2.5m, Bouch 8x11m. Then it was either let Klingberg go or trade Kulak and sign Klingberg for similar $. I feel it’s one or the other.
I still had 1 million left of capspace.
You think they’d have to attach an asset to trade Arvidsson?
I don’t think that $1MM does it for Perry.
Despite having already earned over $100MM from NHL teams, had did negotiate a $1.125MM base and $250K of performance bonuses.
Coming off 19 goals this regular season plus the playoffs he’s having, well, I don’t see him signing for less.
If Arvy has a good SCF then I think he should be tradeable without a poison pill but I’m not 100% on that.
Holland and Chia are gone. Ari is a desirable player still and his deal is fine, no sweetener by Bowman needed
This may be the case but not a for sure – he underperformed his cap hit this past season.
Absolutely not. He’s on a value contract and his rep hasn’t worn itself out yet
I wouldn’t say a player that under-performed his cap hit is on a value contract.