With the Oilers looking to add to their roster over the summer with limited cap space, they had to get creative. Since Connor Brown missed most of last season with a torn ACL sustained in the fourth game of the year, he was eligible for a bonus-laden one-year contract. Accordingly, Edmonton inked him to a one-year deal worth only $775K as the base salary but also gave him a $3.225MM bonus that becomes payable when he reaches his tenth game of the season.
The 29-year-old got off to a slow start and was held off the scoresheet in Edmonton’s first nine games of the season despite averaging close to 15 minutes a night while spending a lot of time in the top six. However, Brown suffered a lower-body injury a little over two weeks ago, delaying him reaching that bonus.
That will change on Saturday as Brown confirmed today (video link) that he will be good to go against Tampa Bay, meaning he will play in his tenth game and reach that bonus.
Whatever amount, if any, Edmonton finishes under the $83.5MM salary cap will be applied to cover some of Brown’s bonus. The remainder will then roll over to their 2024-25 cap charges, meaning that the majority of the projected increase in the cap will be spent on paying for Brown’s deal this season.
Brown remained on the active roster for the Oilers during his injury so no corresponding roster move needs to be made. While Edmonton now has 13 healthy forwards on its roster, there isn’t any benefit to sending one down after the team went into LTIR following the injuries to Dylan Holloway and Mattias Janmark; they won’t be able to bank any extra cap space if they sent their spare forward back to AHL Bakersfield. In the meantime, they’ll hope that Brown can become the key two-way forward he was back with Ottawa where he had his best three seasons from 2019-20 through 2021-22.
Why would the oilers sign him to that much of a bonus for 10 games? Wowza I wish I could get that bonus for showing up for 10 days of work. Too much for brown in my opinion
Because he’s not a minimum salary player, and that’s how much cap they had to spend to sign him.
Because Brown likely gets a 1, 2 or 3 year deal worth 2+ Mil if it wasn’t structured that way and they wanted him for his past success with McDavid. Hindsight is 20/20 and it probably should have been structured more for levels of games played if that is even a legal option according current CBA. Now hopefully for the Oilers and their fans, the team can bank enough LTIR money to cover majority of his bonus and it won’t effect their ability to try and improve in the next offseason.
You’re right that Brown would likely get at least $2MM on a three-year deal. On a one-year, probably $3MM+. This is not a performance-based bonus. The goal was to make it easily attainable. Other clubs with cap space could afford to give him guaranteed money, something the Oilers couldn’t do. Unfortunately for the Oilers they can’t bank cap space while in LTIR. They tried to max cap space by keeping Erne over Lavoie (about $90K cheaper) and running the minimum roster. It appears Jannmark might be back fairly soon. Holloway sounds like extended LTIR and that blows their chance of banking meaningful cap space. I expect most of Brown’s bonus to carry over to next year.
You make it sound like these will be the only injuries to occur all season. You think it’s impossible a McDavid, Nurse, Draisaitl, Nuge, Kane, or Hyman to get injured and miss significant time on the LTIR while they call up a league minimum to bank cap?
I was going to mention that trying to bank cap was a pointless strategy because most teams have long-term injuries that forces them into LTIR. I think something like 25 teams were in LTIR last season. So yes, it’s quite possible that Holloway returns and someone else goes on LTIR. Once a team goes over the cap (and use LTIR to stay compliant) they cease to accrue cap space. If, for example, Nurse is on LTIR, they could spend another $9.25MM to find a replacement (or trade for a goalie). My understanding is even if they spent $3.225MM less than Nurse’s salary (Brown’s bonus) none of it would vest this year.
I am not thoroughly educated on the CBA and basing my thoughts off of paragraph 4 in the article:
“Whatever amount, if any, Edmonton finishes under the $83.5MM salary cap will be applied to cover some of Brown’s bonus. The remainder will then roll over to their 2024-25 cap charges, meaning that the majority of the projected increase in the cap will be spent on paying for Brown’s deal this season.”
Based off this, should McDavid miss 10 games and/or 24 days, they would be able to shed 1.25M of salary… Calling up a min salary (775k I believe?) would cost them 95k, saving them about 1.1M. Would that not roll over to next season savings as the savings would go towards Browns bonus this year?
They would still owe Brown the 2.1+ next year, but not 3.25 instead, no?
Then any other money they can accrue via this method drops next year hit as well. ie) Foegele misses enough time to accrue funds to the LTIR, any difference between his cap hit and the player called up to replace him goes to the pot to cover Browns bonus. That is, if they do not trade for a player of higher cost.
Also saying this, I know they can’t put McDavid on LTIR tomorrow and create 1.2 or whatever space they can use this year, it is only available while he is out. But if those 10 games are the last 10 games of the season ALA the TBL or VGK or CHI the years they circumvented the cap rules.
I see what you’re getting at, and it does seem to make sense, but no. I’m far from a capologist – most of what I’ve learned comes from CapFriendly and Puckpedia. From what I see, today’s cap hit is $85,186,625 and they’ve used $1,370,383 of $1,925,000 LTIR money (Janmark and Holloway’s salaries.) If McDavid went on LTIR, all of his $12.5MM salary would be added to the pool but they’d still be over the cap. It would allow them to add another player – until McDavid returns. I note that the Oilers currently have bonus relief of $516,667 for Holloway. If they can’t fit it under the cap this year, it carries over to next year. Almost every team close to the cap and with ELC players with large bonuses is in this position. If I were Oilers’ management, I’d hope for large cap increase next year.
I thought of that, too. A couple of problems – the Oilers have tough task just to grab a wildcard spot, so they can ill afford to sit McDavid. Tampa and Chicago had the luxury of coasting into the playoffs without Kucherov and Kane. Mark Stone was on LTIR for most of the previous season (2021-22) and they missed the playoffs. I thought about grabbing a goalie or shutdown defender but of course they have to be on the roster at the trade deadline – with 20 games to go. That’s a long time to operate with a key player on LTIR.
@Jess re your 2nd reply. Oilers are 7 points out rn with 2 games at hand. If they play as preseason expectations, and the teams ahead of them in the wild card standings play closer to their expectations, it’s acceptable to expect them to be in that running. If they go supernova, they could be above that, say they go on a run like they did late season last year, but do it earlier and get comfortably in to a WC position with 12-15 games to go, McDavid is still playing through whatever he has been so far this year. Rest him to get him closer to 100% to end year. And during their “run to that position” one of the others needs some time off that makes them LTIR eligible… Its possible to save a few bucks and trim some off of Browns bonus that affects them next year.
Not saying it’s likely, but its a possibility no?
@Jess per your first post. If McDavid was put on LTIR now, they would only be able to use that space until he could return. That is why I suggest someone landing on season ending LTIR or a late hit that cost them the last 12-15 games or possibly more IF it happened before the deadline and they “knew” said player would be good for playoffs.
It’s possible they could go supernova – all this talk about the season being lost 15 games in is crazy. Sometimes, though, it isn’t the points but the number of teams you have to leap over to gain a playoff spot. Anaheim will likely fall out. Arizona will hang in for most of the season (I realize this isn’t a popular opinion – they’re my dark horse team.) St. Louis and Seattle – maybe. Calgary and Minnesota have underachieved, but we’re seeing signs of life from the Flames. So the Oilers have to make up ground on 4 of 6 teams. If 95 points is good enough for a wildcard (which the Jets had last year) the Oilers would have to play at a .627 clip. Not impossible, but they’d be in a fight to nearly the last game. I think if the Oilers do better than that, then McDavid is at his peak and it’s tough to sit a guy in that position.
Another documented laughable move by Edmonton’s management to try and get McDavid to stay! It’s comical to say the least!
If they believed he was a good player its kinda of a smart move, if they didnt see anything to like cut him and pay 775k, if they like him then 50%+ of his deal goes to next season when the cao rises. If he plays like windshield wipers on a ducks arse (useless) then kenny needs to be catapulted over the boarder back into Michigan lol
Agreed that Kenny should be gone, never brought in actually, but Edmonton is far from the border, let alone the Michigan border. Luckily for the team and their fans, Kenny’s contract is up at seasons end and he is likely to retire, or simply just not be retained. Already appears Jackson is pulling all the strings now over Holland.Unfortunately the move to get rid of him and promote Staios or someone from outside the organization in advance of this season has passed.