The Edmonton Oilers are expected to be a little bit healthier to start their Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Florida Panthers , as winger Connor Brown will be returning to the lineup for Game 1 on Wednesday.
Brown had missed Games 4 and 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars due to an upper-body injury. He sustained the injury late in the second period of Game 3 when he took a hard hit to the head from Stars defenseman Alex Petrovic. Brown left the game shortly after, and was confirmed to not be returning to the game at the start of the third period.
Brown has been having an excellent playoff run for the Oilers, with 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points in 14 games. His goal and point totals are a career-high for him in a playoff season. He also had 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points in 82 games in the regular season.
At this point in time, where Brown is expected to slot into the lineup isn’t confirmed. However it’s highly likely that he returns to his usual spot on the third line alongside Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic. The trio has spent 58:12 together during the playoffs, outscoring their opponent 3-1 and sporting a 54.84% 5v5 expected goal share in that time.
It’s also unclear who will be drawing out of the lineup in his place. Jeff Skinner was the most recent addition to the lineup in place of the injured Zach Hyman for Game 5, but he did score his first playoff goal in that game. Viktor Arvidsson was Brown’s replacement, so it will probably be one of Arvidsson or Skinner that gets scratched in Brown’s place.
The Oilers will look to get off to a better start in the Stanley Cup Final than they did in 2024 when they host the Panthers for Game 1 on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST.
