Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 10:54am

OIL GET NEEDED GRIT IN BROWN

The Edmonton Oilers acquired winger Mike Brown from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2014.

What does it give the Edmonton Oilers
The young Oilers haven't shown a lot of grit this season, which may explain some of their surprising offensive struggles so far. Blueliner {P Ladislav Smid} actually leads the team in penalty minutes (33, including just one major, which ties for the team lead), so Brown becomes a much-needed addition in that area. He has a whopping 70 PIM this season (which was tops on the Leafs), including six majors. Brown is also a very hard worker who can chip in on lower lines and kill penalties, and he has a very affordable contract with one year left after this one.

What does it give the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs suddenly have a glut of quality forwards, and with {P Frazer McLaren} stepping up to help {P Colton Orr} with the team's pugilistic duties lately, Brown became expendable. Toronto is also expecting {P Joffrey Lupul} and {P Matt Frattin} back soon from injuries, so a forward clearly had to go. It's a tough pill to swallow for the Leafs, however, as they got a lot of value and heart from the hard-nosed Brown. The fourth-round pick will upgrade to a third rounder if the Oilers make the playoffs this season (a long-shot task at this point).

Fantasy impact
Brown will likely continue to pile up penalty minutes (his 70 are third-most in the NHL), but otherwise he doesn't bring much fantasy value. That said, his presence in helping to protect the likes of struggling center {P Ryan Nugent-Hopkins} and others should give the entire Oilers squad an overall boost in confidence. Meanwhile in Leaf-land, McLaren likely sees a little bump in playing time (and PIM's) as a result.