Connor Brown (© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)
One of the New Jersey Devils’ top goals this off-season was to improve their forward depth. Due to this, one of the players they brought in through free agency this summer was Connor Brown. The Devils signed the 31-year-old winger to a four-year, $12 million contract.
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Brown just had a solid 2024-25 season with the Edmonton Oilers, as he recorded 13 goals, 17 assists, 30 points, and a plus-9 rating. With numbers like these, the Devils are hoping that he can provide them with a bit more secondary scoring this season.
So far, it is fair to say that Brown is doing just that.
During the Devils’ Oct. 11 matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brown scored first two goals of the season. With this, he undoubtedly played a significant role in the Devils defeating the Lightning by a 5-3 final score and securing their first win of the 2025-26 season.
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Brown’s first goal was a good one, as he tipped home a great feed from rookie Arseny Gritsyuk to give New Jersey a 2-0 lead in the first. Then, in the third period, Brown gave the Devils a 5-2 lead by beating Lightning star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy with a nice wrist shot.
Seeing Brown put together a game like this so early in the season is very encouraging. It will be interesting to see how he builds off it from here.