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Connor Brown unsure why the Senators traded him this off-season

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Cooper Godin
August 14, 2022  (2:19 PM)
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July 13th 2022 is a day Connor Brown is going to remember for a while. The 28-year-old was traded from the Ottawa Senators to Washington in exchange for a second round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

When speaking to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger, Brown said he isn't sure why the Senators traded him, but remains focused on next season and his new opportunity with the Capitals.

"I'm not sure," he said. "I can't really tell you what was going on behind the scenes or whatever, but I put some good years there and played hard. You put a bunch of years in with the team, you're trying to build something, you get close to a lot of guys, but in the end, you can only worry about what you can control and not about what you can't." Brown said.

The Toronto native spent three seasons in Ottawa, accumulating 117 points (47 goals, 70 assists) in 191 games. He proved to be an extremely valuable asset for the Senators, playing in all situations, but he may have priced himself out of Ottawa given his consistent play.

Brown is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July 2023 and will likely get at least a couple million more than the $3.6 million he's earning this coming season. Next summer is going to be busy for the Senators with new contracts needed for Tim Stutzle and Alex DeBrincat, the latter of whom is arbitration eligible.

Those two reasons alone would have meant that Brown's time in Ottawa was coming to a close and rather than letting him walk for nothing next summer, General Manager Pierre Dorion was proactive in going out and acquiring an asset for the two-time 20+ goal scorer.

Source: Mike Zeisberger - NHL.com.