The New Jersey Devils made a solid signing this offseason. Connor Brown isn’t a household name, but after two consecutive seasons of deep playoff runs with the Edmonton Oilers—each ending just shy of a Stanley Cup championship— he has established himself as one of the more underrated postseason performers in the NHL.
In 20 playoff games this past season, Brown posted a career-high nine points (five goals, four assists). While his first season with the Oilers was disappointing, he posted 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) last season.
The Devils are arguably one of the best young squads in the NHL, but they need some old-school grit, physicality, and veteran experience to get them to the next level. Making the postseason is basically a guarantee, but whether or not they can actually contend for the Stanley Cup is another question.
Brown may not be the key, but he’s definitely an element that can be utilized to progress towards that goal. After all, he’s logged 39 playoff games over the past two seasons, and that experience will be crucial for a franchise still working to define its playoff identity in the modern era.
For Brown, the expectation is that he will begin in the bottom six, where his versatility and steadiness should make him a reliable depth option on a roster that has too often been disrupted by injuries in recent seasons.
The Devils reinforced this same philosophy by also adding Evgenii Dadonov, whose name does not carry the weight of a marquee signing but whose utility can be measured in other ways. At 36, Dadonov is far removed from his peak scoring years, yet his postseason with Dallas last spring provided a reminder of his situational value. Though his stat line read only one goal and three assists across 16 games, his contributions came in moments of consequence — the kind that tilt series and extend championship windows. The Stars ultimately fell to Edmonton in the Western Conference Final, but Dadonov’s play underscored why veterans of his profile remain relevant.
Financially, Brown’s contract reinforces the strategic logic of the move. A four-year term at a $3 million average annual value is both affordable and forward-looking. It secures a player capable of stabilizing the lower end of the lineup without compromising the cap flexibility required to sustain New Jersey’s core. In an era where depth has become the defining separator between contenders and those who merely reach the postseason, such a balance is no small feat.
The broader point is that Brown’s signing is not about headlines. It is about infrastructure — the structural reinforcement of a team that already boasts high-end talent at the top of its lineup. For a franchise intent on deepening its playoff identity, this kind of acquisition signals pragmatism: the recognition that championships are often determined not solely by stars but by the players who insulate them. The Devils may not yet have the deepest roster in the league, but they are measurably deeper than the group that skated through 2024–25, and in Brown they have found a player whose reliability and perspective can help close that gap.