Connor Brown is one former Oiler who isn't off to a strong start with New Jersey
The ex-Oilers forward is sidelined with a lower-body injury and not yet secure in New Jersey's lineup.
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Three former Oilers forwards are reportedly off to strong starts with their new teams this season, but Connor Brown is not one of them. Brown, 32, is in the second year of a four-year contract with the New Jersey Devils at $3 million a year.
He has been dealing with a lower-body injury, and the Devils placed him on injured reserve in mid-October. Brown has played six games this season, and his spot in the lineup is not yet secure. In his last game, a 4-3 loss to Vegas on Friday, he logged 10:14 of ice time.
Brown earned folk-hero status in Edmonton for his comeback from knee surgery in 2023-24, when he went 54 games without a goal before scoring. He was a key penalty killer on the 2024 Oilers team that reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to Florida in seven games. He re-signed with Edmonton for one more season, scoring 30 points in 82 games, before the Oilers, facing a cap crunch, could not keep him.
The Devils have since reactivated Brown from injured reserve and reassigned winger Stefan Noesen to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.
