Oilers coach Knoblauch makes unjustifiable decision with veteran players

This entire season has been a complete disaster for the Oilers' Connor Brown signing. Last summer the Oilers signed Brown to a brutal contract paying him $3.225M next season when he won't be on the team, but they were banking on him performing now. Instead, Brown has been the worst player on the team this year, and still Coach Knoblauch has promoted him to the third line.

Brown has been moved up to the third line for today's game against Pittsburgh, and Corey Perry has been demoted to the fourth line. Brown has literally zero goals in 54 games with the Oilers, while Perry has been an incredible contributor in depth minutes notching 5 goals and 2 assists in 18 games. This move has drawn the attention of many fans condemning Brown's promotion and Perry's demotion.




Popular Oilers blogger BaggedMilk made the comparison of Brown to former Oiler Jesse Puljujarvi, now a healthy scratch with the Penguins today. Puljujarvi was essentially run out of town by some media members for his lack of offensive production, but Connor Brown isn't drawing the same amount of flak for his awful year. Most likely it's because Puljujarvi was a top 3 overall draft selection of the team, one they hoped more from offensively.

Still, the signing of Connor Brown has proven to be a disaster for the Oilers, and with the recent acquisitions of penalty killing forwards in Henrique and Carrick, there's no longer a reason for Brown to be in the lineup let alone play above Perry. Derek Ryan was scratched today as well, rightfully so due to poor play recently, but the Oilers still have Sam Gagner in no man's land, which may be the best option for the fourth line.