Which Oilers could replace what Connor Brown brought to the lineup?

Brown’s upside in Edmonton was that of a 30-point penalty-kill specialist, and that won’t be easy to replace. But below, we’ll look at two Oilers who have an outside shot to bring what Brown brought to the table.

Kasperi Kapanen

If there’s one player who has a chance to replicate a bit of what Brown brought to the line up last regular season — both in point production and his role on special teams — I feel it would be Kasperi Kapanen, who is also a right-shot and was recently re-signed by the club on June 20 to a one-year deal worth $1.3 million annually.

At first glance, Kapanen looks destined for a bottom-six role next season. But as we saw last playoffs, where he put up six points in 12 games, he’s capable of filling in in the top six when needed, much like Brown did during his tenure with the Oilers. The Finnish forward played over 78 minutes at 5-on-5 alongside Leon Draisaitl last postseason and even buried the clutch Game 5 OT series winner against the Vegas Golden Knights while skating with the superstar centerman.

That said, if you’ve read my work before, you’ll know I’ve been high on Kapanen since he arrived in Edmonton. He brings speed and a bit of skill, but consistency has been his biggest hurdle. Still, for now, it looks like he’s found a home in Edmonton for at least one more year. As well, during the playoffs, he acknowledged that he had to do some soul searching — perhaps in his last chance to stay in the league, saying, “I knew that potentially this might be my last chance, and I’m grateful they [Oilers] gave me the opportunity.”

Desperation can be one of the best motivators, and if Kapanen plays like a guy fighting for his next deal to stay in the NHL beyond next season, that might be exactly what helps him find some consistency. Considering he now has familiarity with Edmonton’s system, comfort with his teammates, and the security of a contract in place, it’s reasonable to believe he could put up numbers similar to the 30 points Brown recorded last regular season — especially since the soon-to-be 29-year-old has previously posted four 30-plus-point seasons in the NHL. On top of that, he’s nearly two years younger than Brown and had a slightly better points-per-game (PPG) average last playoffs, recording 0.5 PPG compared to Brown’s 0.45 PPG.

Could Kapanen Fit Into the Oilers’ Penalty Kill?

Additionally, Brown played the most minutes (128:51) among forwards on the penalty kill last regular season and playoffs (41:46). That said, while this isn’t a knock on Brown specifically, the Oilers’ penalty kill was lackluster throughout the 2025 postseason, operating at just 67% efficiency, which was the third worst among all playoff teams, and perhaps a shake-up up front on the PK is due.

There will be a role to fill on the PK unit, and Kapanen is an excellent candidate to step up in that area. The Finnish forward played 45:15 minutes in 57 regular-season games in 2024-25 and 10:40 minutes in the playoffs. I feel he’d be good on the PK because he’s a very good skater with the ability to close gaps quickly and get in front of shots faster.

Additionally, although it was some time ago, he has experience playing a primary role on the PK, playing the third-most minutes (125:19) among forwards in 2018-19 when he was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ironically, the player who played the most shorthanded minutes for the Maple Leafs that season was none other than Connor Brown (158:49).

That said, Kapanen would need to fully commit to playing smart defensive hockey while shorthanded. While I wouldn’t expect him to lead the Oilers in shorthanded minutes, there’s no reason he couldn’t earn a spot on the PK unit.

Curtis Lazar

Curtis Lazar is an interesting pickup for the Oilers, one that has the potential to develop into a solid reclamation project. While he’s likely brought in to play center, the wonderful thing about how the Oilers are currently constructed is that they have several players who can play down the middle — meaning the 6-foot, 203-pound right-shot could also shift to right wing if the situation calls for it, where Brown played during his days as an Oiler.

Lazar signed a one-year deal with the Oilers on July 1st worth $775,000 annually after appearing in just 48 games last season, missing 17 due to a knee injury that required surgery. After returning from his injury, he admitted he wasn’t performing at the level he’d liked, saying recently, “I’ve been pretty honest about my knee injury last year and just about how much it hindered me, but I’m not a complainer, it is what it is.”

Like we saw with Brown, who underwent full ACL surgery in 2022 and struggled to find his rhythm in his first season with the Oilers in 2022-23, producing only 12 points, knee surgeries take time to recover from. Brown is a good example of this, as he bounced back with an 18-point increase last regular season. On that note, while Lazar’s knee injury wasn’t as severe as Brown’s, it held him back from performing at his best in 2024-25.

Although Lazar only tallied five points last season, there’s hope he can get close to the 25 points he put up two years ago. He recently stated, “My body feels right, I’m moving exceptionally well in the gym, which has translated into some pretty good on-ice sessions already.” With a combination of better health, familiarity with the city from his time playing with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings and winning a championship, and comfort in knowing the Oilers’ dynamic duo — having played with Connor McDavid at the World Juniors and competed against Leon Draisaitl in the WHL — it’s not unrealistic to think he could get back to somewhere near that 25-point form.

Could Lazar Fit Into the Oilers’ Penalty Kill?

As mentioned, with Brown now off to Lazar’s former team, the New Jersey Devils, there’s an opening on the PK unit that needs to be filled and Lazar is no stranger to the PK either, as he played a career-high 112 shorthanded minutes during the 2021–22 season with the Boston Bruins.

While he was limited to just under 45 PK minutes last season with the Devils due to injury, he played nearly 79 minutes the year before. Additionally, when performing at his best, he has wheels, as NHL Edge data recorded his top skating speed last season at 23.14 MPH, ranking him in the 90th percentile across the league, which could also help him close gaps while shorthanded. Moreover, although his career faceoff percentage sits at 48.1%, he won 51.3% of his draws last season and went 50% on the dot while shorthanded two seasons ago, making him a suitable candidate to take right-side faceoffs on the PK.

For now, the Oilers have two internal options heading into the 2025–26 campaign who could potentially replicate what Brown brought to the table over the past two seasons. That said, it’s still early in the offseason, and with the Oilers already making moves — most recently with the trade for Isaac Howard — there’s no telling what else they might have in store.