Photo: The Athletic
The Washington Capitals acquired right-wing Connor Brown from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick on Wednesday, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
The 28-year-old scored 10 goals, 39 points, 50.26% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 48.58% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 48.81% scoring chances-for percentage in 64 games last season.
Brown finished with the most ice time among Ottawa forwards (20:03) last season, including 2:04 on the power-play (sixth) and 2:38 on the penalty-kill (first).
Graphic: JFresh
In 444 career NHL games with the Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, Brown has 90 goals and 216 points. He also has a goal and five points in 20 postseason games.
Brown has one season left on his contract, which carries a $3.6 million cap hit.
He will likely slide in on the third line, replacing Marcus Johansson who is an unsigned free agent.
The Capitals are currently $878,334 over the NHL salary cap so another move may be coming. The team added goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren in addition to center Henrik Borgstrom and defenseman Erik Gustafsson in free agency.
By Harrison Brown
That’s a little better, Mac.
The capitals are over the cap, but you are allowed to be (to a limit) during the off-season. Plus, Backstrom and Wilson (and maybe Hagelin) will start the season on LTIR. No more moves are necessary if they are content with whatever tweeners making the roster.
That’s why I thought they would sign a higher caliber center, they are going to have a lot of LTIR. I think Tampa is $7 million over. They do it every years.
He needs to play on a line with McMichael and Sheary. The Connors!!
Well done! 👏👏👏
Me likey! Nice sneaky move by Bmac.
Where is he gonna play? I’m just curious where he fits. But I agree, good signing.
He can top line it until Wison comes back or 2nd line or 3rd line, anywhere on the wing in the top 9.
Agree Marky, solid pickup.
My question is why trade another draft pick for someone who will only be here 1, yes that is right, 1 year. Do anyone really think that this player is the difference between a winning season and a loosing one? Or between making th playoffs and not? Really I an now officially asking for GMBM to resign or be fired. When will this team stop trading picks for rentals like this one or like they do to unload Sprong who by the way had more goals than the washed up bum that GMBM brought in! This team is either rbuilding now or after next year and they need all their picks but I guess GMBM learned to well from GMGM that is you have high picks trade them for rentals or better yet trade young players for washed up one. Way to much salary to takeon for a rental.
The Caps will not be in a rebuild until after Ovechkin retires! They promised him they would be competitive all the way up until the end of his contract. Also, Sprong isn’t even signed anymore and needed to let him go to create cap space. I am perfectly fine with all of these moves. Brown kills penalty’s and plays on the power play and he’s only 28 years old. Signing or trading for one player doesn’t make or break a team from being competitive it’s a team sport. If you want the team to stop trading picks and young prospects then you want this team to go back to where they were pre Ovechkin era.
Brown could easily re sign here after next year. Caps have Eller, Sheary, Hathaway, AJF and a few D coming off the books. While, he was in Ottawa, he said he would not resign there. I think Capitals players and his experience in Washington will be appealing for him after this season. He won’t make more than 4.5 million per probably so it’s very doable for a do everything top 9 player.
As long as the Caps keep their first (and mostly 2nd) rounder each year, they will be fine. The percentage of players past the 1st round of the draft that play and play effectively and for a long time in the NHL is pretty small. Most only go as far as the AHL if they are lucky. Brown does everything, and well. The Caps can resign him next year easily. The NHL draft is nothing like the NFL. Draft picks past the 2nd round are pretty worthless usually and Bmac can give them away all day. The only team he hurts when he does that is Hershey, god love ’em.