The Oilers recalled defenseman Josh Brown from AHL Bakersfield on Sunday, according to a team announcement. The club had a pair of open roster spots and ample cap space in their LTIR pool, so no corresponding transaction was necessary.
Recalling Brown gives Edmonton an extra defenseman while Darnell Nurse, who sustained an upper-body injury on a hit from Maple Leafs winger Ryan Reaves on Saturday night that resulted in a five-game suspension, is unavailable. The Oilers haven’t yet issued a timeline for Nurse’s return, but after leaving the game bloodied and in visible pain, it’s likely he’ll miss at least a game or two.
Edmonton signed Brown, 30, to a three-year, $3MM contract over the summer. It hasn’t gone to plan at all, with the 6’5″ righty failing to even make the team out of camp and clearing waivers last month.
Brown’s $1MM cap hit is fully buriable in the minors, but it’s a big chunk of change to be paying an AHLer. The Ontario native hadn’t seen AHL ice since the 2018-19 campaign with the Panthers, the same season he made his NHL debut.
A Florida sixth-round pick in 2013, Brown has recorded 11 goals, 23 assists, 34 points, and a -26 rating in 290 NHL appearances over the past six years with the Panthers, Senators, Bruins, and Coyotes before arriving with the Oilers. He averages less than 15 minutes per game and has consistently posted below-average possession numbers, only controlling 43.8% of shot attempts when on the ice at even strength.
Last year in Arizona, Brown was a frequent healthy scratch but managed a career-high seven assists and 10 points in 51 games when in the lineup. The physical stay-at-home defender did finish fourth on the Coyotes with 85 blocks and sixth with 112 hits, but his 41.0 CF% at even strength was the worst among any Arizona skater with over 20 games played.
In 12 games with Bakersfield, Brown has two assists and leads the team with 46 PIMs and a +5 rating. The former number leads the league, not an unsurprising stat for a player who logged 1.47 PIMs per game with Arizona in 2023-24.
It’s unclear whether Brown will make his Oilers debut on Monday against the Canadiens. That depends on the health of winger Viktor Arvidsson, who’s missed their last two games with an undisclosed injury and has led them to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. If Arvidsson can’t play, Brown will likely suit up as the extra blue-liner.
Brown can remain on the Oilers’ roster for up to 30 days or play up to 10 games before requiring waivers again to return to Bakersfield.
