After another disappointing Toronto Maple Leafs playoff loss, it's time to break up the core four forwards and that might mean moving on from Mitch Marner, who becomes a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season. Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Connor Brown is staying in Oil Country. Despite a slow start with the Edmonton Oilers after signing a one-year, $4 million contract in July of 2023, the speedy winger found his form in the latter half of the season and well into the postseason. As a result, the Oilers are re-committing to the forward, signing him to a one-year, $1 million contract, confirmed by The Athletic’s Chris Johnston [https://x.com/reporterchris/status/1807776126137164102]. His new deal follows a one-year, $4 million deal that carried a cap hit of $775,000 and saw $3.25 million in performance bonuses on his last contract signed in 2023. The 30-year-old scored four goals and added eight assists, totaling 12 points in 71 regular season games in the 2023-24 campaign. In the postseason, Brown was efficient in the bottom six, scoring two goals and adding four assists through 17 games of action. His most memorable goal came in Game 5 when he opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal. It was clear that it took Brown a little while to get going in an Oilers uniform following his recovery from a torn ACL and major knee surgery, which caused him to struggle early on. Brown had not played in an NHL since October of 2022 with the Washington Capitals, so he had some rust to shake off. Once he found his footing, he managed to play himself into a vital role on the penalty kill and in the bottom six while providing a boost for the Oilers throughout the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. His new deal leaves the Oilers with $11,933,333 million in projected cap space under the $88 million salary cap in free agency Monday, according to PuckPedia.com [https://puckpedia.com/team/edmonton-oilers]. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related Why the Maple Leafs Signed Defenseman Chris Tanev to Six-Year, $27 Million Contract [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/why-the-maple-leafs-signed-defenseman-chris-tanev-to-six-year-27-million-contract] Why the Maple Leafs Officially Signed Joseph Woll to a Three-Year Extension Worth $3.66 Million Per Season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/why-the-maple-leafs-officially-signed-joseph-woll-to-a-three-year-extension-worth-3-66-million-per-season] Report: Maple Leafs Forward Tyler Bertuzzi Expected to Sign Four-Year, $22 Million Contract with Chicago Blackhawks in NHL Free Agency [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-forward-tyler-bertuzzi-expected-to-sign-four-year-22-million-contract-with-chicago-blackhawks-in-nhl-free-agency] News from THN.com 2024 NHL Draft: Building Team Ferrari with the Detroit Red Wings' Picks [https://thehockeynews.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-building-team-ferrari-with-the-detroit-red-wings-picks] 2024 NHL Draft: Best Available After the First Round [https://thehockeynews.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-best-available-after-the-first-round] Oilers on the Verge of Becoming the Most Unlikely, Memorable Cup Champs in NHL History [https://thehockeynews.com/news/oilers-on-the-verge-of-becoming-the-most-unlikely-memorable-cup-champs-in-nhl-history]
