NHL Rumors: Oilers Being Linked To Senators' Defenseman

The sky is falling in Edmonton, as the Oilers have lost 6 straight games and 12 of their last 14, leading to many analysts suggesting that a roster move is coming sooner than later for a team that was expected to be challenging for a Stanley Cup this season. One area of emphasis is their toughness and energy, as they are obviously skilled and have great skaters and puck movers, but as Sportsnet's Mark Spector puts it, they're simply too easy to play against:

The book is out on these Oilers: They aren’t deep enough, their goaltending is lousy, and they are easy to play against. So easy to play against.

He goes on to mention the lack of a true, consistent physical force within their bottom six and how their short-term solutions have not panned out. Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal offers a potential solution in defenseman Josh Brown of the Ottawa Senators, the same Senators that scored five goals in the 3rd period during Saturday's 6-4 comeback win. Leavins had this to say about the former Oshawa General:

Though he’s right-handed and not sure who he would replace in the lineup, but Ottawa Senators pending UFA Josh Brown is a rugged, 6-foot-5 defenseman the Edmonton Oilers could use.

Josh Brown would certainly foot the bill if the Oilers are looking to get tougher. The 6'5", 221 lbs. defenseman doesn't shy away from the physical aspect of the game, and isn't afraid to drop the mitts either. Check out this scrap from October when he took exception to a hit from Stars captain Jamie Benn:

The prospect of adding the 27-year-old pending UFA is something the Oilers should at least make a call on, especially given their recent first-hand taste (3 hits, 1 assist in just under 13 minutes) of what Brown could potentially bring to the spiralling Oilers.