Shane Doan becomes an assistant to Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving as the club shores up its deep ties to Arizona. Will that be enough to extend Auston Matthews? Could Connor Brown return to play for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs? According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs are one of a couple of teams that could land the free-agent forward. "I think all things being equal — unless someone comes out with a great offer — I look at the favorites for Connor Brown as being Edmonton or Toronto," Friedman said on his '32 Thoughts' podcast [https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/] on Friday. "Someone's going to have to beat that." Connor Brown spent last season with the Washington Capitals but was limited to just four games after suffering a season-ending knee injury. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 NHL Draft (156th overall) by the Maple Leafs, Brown pushed his way to becoming an everyday player with Toronto. He was traded to the Ottawa Senators in the summer of 2019 following a season in which he scored eight goals and 21 assists. Brown was recently a guest on a brand-new podcast by former NHLer Luke Gazdic and told the story of attending former teammate Matt Martin's wedding when he learned of his trade to the Senators. He admitted to crying and getting emotional when learning of the deal. But in hindsight, he felt it was the best thing to happen in his career. "I was having a down year, but and down the lineup," Brown said. "It was good to just kind of find myself in Ottawa." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e7T0pZLf6E[/embed] Brown is coming off a deal that paid him $3.6 million per season and it's not clear what his value is coming off an injury as severe as his. But the talented forward has fully recovered and is looking to show it with a new club. The Oilers also make a lot of sense for Brown. Connor McDavid and Brown were teammates together in the OHL with the Erie Otters. Related Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Anticipates No Buyout Window Usage Before Free Agency [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/maple-leafs-gm-brad-treliving-anticipates-no-buyout-window-usage-before-free-agency] Sheldon Keefe 'Thrilled' to Resume Role as Maple Leafs Head Coach Amid Challenging and Uncertain Wait [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/sheldon-keefe-thrilled-to-resume-role-as-maple-leafs-head-coach-amid-challenging-and-uncertain-wait] Report: Maple Leafs Engaged in Ongoing Discussions with Luke Schenn Ahead of Impending Free Agency [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/report-maple-leafs-engaged-in-ongoing-discussions-with-luke-schenn-ahead-of-impending-free-agency]
