After being an NHL regular for each of the past three seasons, it must have been a kick in the head for restricted free agent defenseman Erik Brannstrom to not only go unsigned by Ottawa in the summer but also start this season in the minors.
Fortunately for Brannstrom, he didn’t have to wait long for another NHL opportunity.
The Vancouver Canucks called him up this week, and he made his season debut on Thursday night in a 3-2 overtime victory in Florida against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Brannstrom played 21 shifts for 11:49 of ice time, recording one shot and one hit.
The 25-year-old was always a solid puck mover in Ottawa, but as the Senators began to prioritize size on their blue line this summer, they chose not to re-sign Brannstrom. In their view, he simply didn’t generate enough offense to offset his physical and defensive shortcomings.
Former GM Pierre Dorion desperately wanted Brannstrom to succeed since he was the key piece in the 2019 Mark Stone trade. However, once his replacement, Steve Staios, began to make his mark on the team, he wasn’t tethered to Dorion’s deal and could objectively decide on Brannstrom’s value.
Colorado signed Brannstrom to a one-year deal worth $900,000, but he didn’t make the team out of training camp. The Avalanche then traded him to the Vancouver Canucks, who sent him to Abbotsford of the AHL, where he recorded three points in two games.
While he was no longer a fit in Ottawa, it’s good to see Brannstrom get another chance to reboot his NHL career.
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