Confirmed Signing with Link: [COL] D Erik Brannstrom signs with the Avalanche (1 year, $900k)

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808181556324061210

Click to read more...

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Wouldn't shock me if this tuns out to be among best deals of FA

He isn't terrible and maybe gets more flak than he deserved because of all the hype around him in early years

 

[Magic Mittens]

Nice signing!

 

[1specter]

Knowing the Avs and Sakic, they will turn him into a 50 pt D somehow and then Girard will be traded for a good scoring winger or goalie.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

Wouldn't shock me if this tuns out to be among best deals of FA

He isn't terrible and maybe gets more flak than he deserved because of all the hype around him in early years

He’ll be good on their 3rd pairing and can move up in the lineup when injuries happen. Can also be a 2nd pp QB.

Very good signing.

 

[Muffin]

Very Avs like to target a guy like that with good underlying numbers

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808183775685210336

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Surprised he got a deal. He kinda sucks..

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

Very Avs like to target a guy like that with good underlying numbers

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808183775685210336

His advanced stats look good because of his role. It's the same reason everybody was gaga for Chris Wideman when he was on Ottawa.

He is a good pro hockey player, but his shortcomings will prevent him from being an NHLer long term. He will be a superstar in just about every other league in the world.

Ironically, he looked really good as a winger for a few games, but he seemed rightfully upset about having to play forward.

If he succeeds in Colorado, that would be fantastic. He was never going to make it in Ottawa.

He plays with an edge, but he is too small and not a fast enough defenseman for playoff hockey. He will be eaten alive on the forecheck if he ever has to play against top competition. His role in the NHL would be as a sheltered #6 D who can QB a 2nd PP unit. The best spot for him would have been a rebuilding team who does not have a PP QB but has some offensive talent on their top unit.

Depending on how deep Colorado's D is this year, he may not play every night.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

Surprised he got a deal. He kinda sucks..

If he was 5 inches taller and a slightly faster skater he would play 500 games in the NHL as a bottom pairing guy.

He is incredibly overrated because he was a tremendous prospect with a very strong rookie year in the AHL at a young age, but he could never translate his game to the NHL, even in Ottawa where there were plenty of opportunities for him to steal a top 4 spot. They only traded for Chychrun last year. He will be the type of pro who is a superstar in every other league but probably can't justify continually taking a crack at the NHL for low 1-way money or 2-way money.

There were multiple players who made, advanced, or saved their career by taking advantage of the wide open defense on Ottawa like Mark Borowiecki, Mike Reilly, and Dylan Demelo. The brass ring was there for Brannstrom to take. Some of the fanbase has a martyr perception with him because his sheltered role gives him those Wideman advance stats, and people don't realize that if he was playing 22 minutes a night against top competition that the JPEG of his JFresh card wouldn't even load.

 

[HSF]

hes really good for a depth role

 

[Siludin]

Was curious where this guy and Adam Boqvist would go.

 

[BKarchitect]

I think he will probably have a chance to do well in a sheltered, limited regular season role. Cheap depth.

Probably not a guy who is gonna see much ice time in the WC playoffs.

 

[stempniaksen]

Not a perfect fit for a bottom-pairing because he can't really help on special teams. The offence never translated to the point where he can be relied on to help the PP and his (lack of) size/strength mean he's never going to be a fit on the PK where boxing guys out is important.

All that being said, he's an underrated 5v5 defender and can really help with the transition game. Would be at his best next to a big hulking guy who can take care of the net front in the D zone. I'm assuming Manson is going to play top-four minutes and that's not where you want Brannstrom, but in theory that's the right kind of partner for him.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

outperformed Chabot and Chychrun on way too many nights.

 

[cheesymc]

Nice deal that only contenders get...

 

[JaegerDice]

Smart team makes smart acquisition.

 

[cheesymc]

I guess this keeps Malinski in the AHL another year.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

outperformed Chabot and Chychrun on way too many nights.

I don't think this is a fair comparison when you consider how different their deployment was.

A lot of sheltered bottom pair puck movers become favourites of the analytic/hardcore fans, because they look great playing 15 minutes a night against easy competition, especially on the road.

Brannstrom at 900k is a perfectly fine signing, but Avalanche fans should expect a 6th-7th D who can play 15 minutes a night, not the player the Senators through Brannstrom would become when they acquired him after he tore up the AHL. I could see him possibly playing a bigger role in the regular season and doing okay if all the stars align, but I'm not bullish on it. I also think he is someone who probably gets scratched in the playoffs, not because he isn't physically engaging, he actually does play with an edge, I think he is just too small at defense for playoff hockey.

 

[Mac Attack]

I guess this keeps Malinski in the AHL another year.

Not exactly stiff competition on the bottom pair plus no extra D pushing for a spot if injuries come up. If he doesn't suck he'll get his chance

I don't think this is a fair comparison when you consider how different their deployment was.

A lot of sheltered bottom pair puck movers become favourites of the analytic/hardcore fans, because they look great playing 15 minutes a night against easy competition, especially on the road.

Brannstrom at 900k is a perfectly fine signing, but Avalanche fans should expect a 6th-7th D who can play 15 minutes a night, not the player the Senators through Brannstrom would become when they acquired him after he tore up the AHL. I could see him possibly playing a bigger role in the regular season and doing okay if all the stars align, but I'm not bullish on it. I also think he is someone who probably gets scratched in the playoffs, not because he isn't physically engaging, he actually does play with an edge, I think he is just too small at defense for playoff hockey.

Works for me. Our top 4 is set, we just need a bottom pair guy and not one that has to log many minutes either. We can pick up an extra D at the deadline for playoffs.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

Not exactly stiff competition on the bottom pair plus no extra D pushing for a spot if injuries come up. If he doesn't suck he'll get his chance


Works for me. Our top 4 is set, we just need a bottom pair guy and not one that has to log many minutes either. We can pick up an extra D at the deadline for playoffs.

He is a good signing. I don't want to seem like I am trashing the guy.

I'm sure the Senators would have been happy to keep him at 900k, but he had no reason to stay there as a UFA and his QO was 2M.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

I don't think this is a fair comparison when you consider how different their deployment was.

A lot of sheltered bottom pair puck movers become favourites of the analytic/hardcore fans, because they look great playing 15 minutes a night against easy competition, especially on the road.

Brannstrom at 900k is a perfectly fine signing, but Avalanche fans should expect a 6th-7th D who can play 15 minutes a night, not the player the Senators through Brannstrom would become when they acquired him after he tore up the AHL. I could see him possibly playing a bigger role in the regular season and doing okay if all the stars align, but I'm not bullish on it. I also think he is someone who probably gets scratched in the playoffs, not because he isn't physically engaging, he actually does play with an edge, I think he is just too small at defense for playoff hockey.

i mean even when Brannstrom played top 4 minutes he looked a lot steadier and a lot smarter than Chabot or Chychrun.

Just look at the Brannstrom-Zub pairing. Small sample size sure, but it was one of our best pairing..

even Chabot had his best numbers playing with Brannstrom.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

I guess this keeps Malinski in the AHL another year.

Malinski has the advantage of being the only RHS defenseman in the organization after Makar and Manson, he might get a spot on the bottom pairing by default

 

[Brodeur]

From what I recall, Brannstrom is one of the rare D who prefers to play on opposite side (in his case right side).

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Colorado loving Sens players that's Brannstrom and Parker Kelly. likely both going to play great

 

[Patagonia]

Low risk and positive signing.

Thought he had potential and expected too much for his abilities. Possibly drafted a little too high. Might be a good fit with AVs encouraging good skating DMen to push the play.