Connor Brown injury update: Kris Knoblauch backtracks on Oilers forward's status for Stanley Cup Final Game 1

Connor Brown and the Edmonton Oilers are counting down the days until the start of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Oilers will have been off for almost a full week when Game 1 of the rematch against the Florida Panthers takes place Wednesday night in Edmonton. For winger Brown, it will have been nearly two weeks out of action, dating back to Game 3 against Dallas on May 25.

Brown left that game early after taking a hard hit from Stars defenseman Alex Petrovic and did not return. He was forced to miss the rest of the Western Conference Finals with what the Oilers described as an undisclosed injury.

Fortunately for Edmonton, the time off was good for Brown, as head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed days ago that he would be available for Game 1. However, there has been a slight turn of events: the 31-year-old is now considered a game-time decision with a separate illness.

TSN hockey insider Chris Johnston shared the update provided by Knoblauch on Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter).

"Connor Brown is a "game-time decision" for Game 1 of the Cup Final tomorrow, per Kris Knoblauch," Johnston wrote.

Brown is a pending unrestricted free agent playing out the lone season of the one-year, $1 million contract extension he signed with the Oilers on July 1, 2024.

Connor Brown was absent from Tuesday's practice

It raised some eyebrows when Connor Brown was nowhere to be found at Oilers practice Tuesday — that was until the news of his illness came out, easing concerns among fans.

Edmonton Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels shared the update from Tuesday’s practice on X.

"Getting ready. No Connor Brown on the ice—but he’s expected to be ready for tomorrow. Oilers making a ninth appearance in the Stanley Cup Final—a record for a non-Original Six team," Michaels wrote.

Despite being under the weather, all signs point to Brown making his return just in time for the biggest series of them all. He’s been an impactful player for the Oilers, posting eight points (five goals, three assists) in 14 postseason games.

He and the Oilers will host the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night in Edmonton. Puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at Rogers Place.