Traded Erik Brännström - D - Part III

[JD1]

We don't run an umbrella, we use a 1-3-1, with the skill level we have when healthy it makes sense, not sure what we'll do now that Norris is hurt.

I think the least disruptive thing to do short term is have Brassard slide into Norris's spot.

Probably want to have a couple of practices if we're going to change all the lines

 

[Micklebot]

I think the least disruptive thing to do short term is have Brassard slide into Norris's spot.

Probably want to have a couple of practices if we're going to change all the lines

From healthy scratch to top line...

Brassard doesn't really fit the third lines MO so you're probably right, Greig is still day to day I think otherwise he might be an option but even then I'd rather he get more seasoning.

Giroux could play center, that would allow us some other options, like call up Crookshank or Sokolov. If the injury is long term I'm sure they'll try different things along the way.

 

[GCK]

So the reaction to “Brannstrom fanboys” was to tear down the player ridiculous attacks rather than disprove allegedly fallacious arguments? Seems it would have been easy to demonstrate how his performance was worse than his competitors.

More likely it was just poor evaluation from the haters.

He’s definitely playing better and putting it all together now, but he’s always had flashes. The potential was always there despite some being adamant it wasn’t.

No the fights started because there was no openness to have an objective discussion about his limitations and performance. Examples:

Fanboy: Brannstrom is better than the plug DJ is playing.

Hater: Brannstrom needs to develop more in practice and in Belleville.

Or

Hater: Brannstrom can’t defend very well

Fanboy: He can defend but his partner sucks.

Or my personal favourite

Fanboy: DJ is wrecking Brannstrom by insisting he can’t play his preferred right side.

Hater: The org thinks he will be better on the left side.

I assume the next battle will be Good development vs Brannstrom would have played like this 2 years ago if given the chance.

 

[Bileur]

No the fights started because there was no openness to have an objective discussion about his limitations and performance. Examples:

Fanboy: Brannstrom is better than the plug DJ is playing.

Hater: Brannstrom needs to develop more in practice and in Belleville.

Or

Hater: Brannstrom can’t defend very well

Fanboy: He can defend but his partner sucks.

Or my personal favourite

Fanboy: DJ is wrecking Brannstrom by insisting he can’t play his preferred right side.

Hater: The org thinks he will be better on the left side.

I assume the next battle will be Good development vs Brannstrom would have played like this 2 years ago if given the chance.

Not much point re-hashing old individual arguments but its enough to say that’s a pretty rosy version of the haters arguments which were much more categorical.

The argument about good development vs opportunity has already happened, you’ve been sleeping at the switch.

 

[OD99]

Saw Branny on Preston St out for dinner after game last night.

A bunch of us still had jerseys on and the red hats from Oktoberfest pregame. He was inside and we walked by but pointed and shouted and cheered for him. He absolutely loved it and was eating it up. His whole table was loving it.

So happy for this guy, perseverance has paid off.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

No the fights started because there was no openness to have an objective discussion about his limitations and performance. Examples:

Fanboy: Brannstrom is better than the plug DJ is playing.

Hater: Brannstrom needs to develop more in practice and in Belleville.

Or

Hater: Brannstrom can’t defend very well

Fanboy: He can defend but his partner sucks.

Or my personal favourite

Fanboy: DJ is wrecking Brannstrom by insisting he can’t play his preferred right side.

Hater: The org thinks he will be better on the left side.

I assume the next battle will be Good development vs Brannstrom would have played like this 2 years ago if given the chance.

Just to chime in, the right side is not Brannstrom's preferred side. He gave an interview where he spoke about how it's harder for him to play on his offside in the NHL.

 

[Big Muddy]

I think it was more a reaction to the Brannstrom fanboys complaining about how he was being developed and that DJ didn’t like him. Turns out DJ likes him a lot when he plays well and he developed just fine. If there is one thing this org has done well it’s development.

I think this point is good to bear in mind when it comes to JBD, Thomson & Kleven as well. I'd also add that our drafting while not infallible is pretty decent. I wonder if we might see JBD for example in a few games this year just to give him a little NHL ice time and to help his development path?

 

[bashbros32]

I think this point is good to bear in mind when it comes to JBD, Thomson & Kleven as well. I'd also add that our drafting while not infallible is pretty decent. I wonder if we might see JBD for example in a few games this year just to give him a little NHL ice time and to help his development path?

I'd be perfectly fine with running 8 D for a few games where Z and Holden sit...

Chabot - JBD
Sanderson - Hamonic
Brannstrom - Zub

I also wonder what things would look like if say, we miss the playoffs, sending Sanderson down for the last 3 AHL games + perhaps playoffs? If Belleville make it that is.

 

[SAK11]

I'd be perfectly fine with running 8 D for a few games where Z and Holden sit...

Chabot - JBD
Sanderson - Hamonic
Brannstrom - Zub

I also wonder what things would look like if say, we miss the playoffs, sending Sanderson down for the last 3 AHL games + perhaps playoffs? If Belleville make it that is.

That seems like a weird thing to do to a full-time NHLer. He'd probably go to the World Championship if he were to keep playing hockey after the Sens season is done.

 

[bashbros32]

That seems like a weird thing to do to a full-time NHLer. He'd probably go to the World Championship if he were to keep playing hockey after the Sens season is done.

I mean, playoff experience, even in a lesser league, is pretty invaluable.

 

[SAK11]

I mean, playoff experience, even in a lesser league, is pretty invaluable.

For sure, still doubt they'd do that. World Championship experience would be just fine.

 

[JD1]

No the fights started because there was no openness to have an objective discussion about his limitations and performance. Examples:

Fanboy: Brannstrom is better than the plug DJ is playing.

Hater: Brannstrom needs to develop more in practice and in Belleville.

Or

Hater: Brannstrom can’t defend very well

Fanboy: He can defend but his partner sucks.

Or my personal favourite

Fanboy: DJ is wrecking Brannstrom by insisting he can’t play his preferred right side.

Hater: The org thinks he will be better on the left side.

I assume the next battle will be Good development vs Brannstrom would have played like this 2 years ago if given the chance.

I don't think that's true at all.

He's a polarizing player in part because he was the return for Stone

But what you've presented here is that the "haters" were always correct with their assessment of Brannstrom

 

[Bileur]

I don't think that's true at all.

He's a polarizing player in part because he was the return for Stone

But what you've presented here is that the "haters" were always correct with their assessment of Brannstrom

That was his objective.

 

[GCK]

I don't think that's true at all.

He's a polarizing player in part because he was the return for Stone

But what you've presented here is that the "haters" were always correct with their assessment of Brannstrom

It’s got nothing to do with Stone in my case. I’ve been told I “hate” Brannstrom because he is small. My issues with Brannstrom were always that I was not seeing the explosion that helps him get out of situations, he is showing it now.

I will say no one ever doubted the kids toughness. He is absolutely fearless.

 

[JD1]

It’s got nothing to do with Stone in my case. I’ve been told I “hate” Brannstrom because he is small. My issues with Brannstrom were always that I was not seeing the explosion that helps him get out of situations, he is showing it now.

I will say no one ever doubted the kids toughness. He is absolutely fearless.

Well i can't speak to what you've been told, but i can speak to the critiques I've seen of Brannstrom in general over the past couple of years

There's been a lot of bad takes on the kid.

Defencemen often take a little longer to develop. He was picked in a run of 5 D in a row, which to me makes them his peers. He's been the most impressive of that lot to date.

 

[GCK]

Well i can't speak to what you've been told, but i can speak to the critiques I've seen of Brannstrom in general over the past couple of years

There's been a lot of bad takes on the kid.

Defencemen often take a little longer to develop. He was picked in a run of 5 D in a row, which to me makes them his peers. He's been the most impressive of that lot to date.

These are the critiques I’ve seen.

- Not quick enough with his first 2 steps to avoid forecheckers

- Gets pushed around in the D zone due to lack of size/strength

- Can’t skate the puck out of his own zone, too slow

Number 1 is no longer an issue

Number 2 is less of an issue with the added strength but still a bit of a problem

Number 3 is no longer an issue

I agree that D take longer to develop which is why the calls for him to be a regular in 2020 were jumping the gun.

He fits really well slotted behind Chabot and Sanderson with the ability to be deployed WITH one of the other 2 if we are chasing a goal.

 

[IranCondraAffair]

Man, we could come up with a perpetual motion machine seeing some people backpaddle on their Brannstrom criticisms.

 

[cudi]

Man, we could come up with a perpetual motion machine seeing some people backpaddle on their Brannstrom criticisms.

well i mean...he's improved a lot since people had those criticism's.

 

[Tuna99]

Remember when Brannstrom took some big hits to make plays and the media and fans were saying he doesnt have the hockey sense to survive in the NHL - that was stupid

 

[IranCondraAffair]

well i mean...he's improved a lot since people had those criticism's.

He was 21 and 22 and playing defense in the NHL. The criticisms were relentless and unwarranted given the totality of the situation.

Personally, I think four things played into the Brannstrom negativity:

1. He was traded for Mark Stone and people who were mad we lost Stone were looking for him to fail so when he didn't have immediate success people jumped all over him

2. He's small and some fans are just biased. No other way to describe it, they just care more about how a player looks than how effective he is.

3. He's an offensive defenseman. Some fans just can't accept the good with the bad. They did the same with Karlsson even though he's a first ballot hall-of-famer but they shit all over him for every mistake.

4. The team around him sucked. We weren't good enough and people try to find scapegoats. Brannstrom was easy to blame when things looked bad.

If Brannstrom had never be traded to a bad Ottawa team, never been called up to the NHL until he was 22, and was 6'2, he never would have received 1/1000th the criticism.

None of which was under his control.

 

[Emrasie]

It’s got nothing to do with Stone in my case. I’ve been told I “hate” Brannstrom because he is small. My issues with Brannstrom were always that I was not seeing the explosion that helps him get out of situations, he is showing it now.

I will say no one ever doubted the kids toughness. He is absolutely fearless.

It's not true, one did and everybody know who. But yes he was the only one that i read saying that, EB is fearless and given his size it's a big quality to have.

 

[OD99]

He was 21 and 22 and playing defense in the NHL. The criticisms were relentless and unwarranted given the totality of the situation.

Personally, I think four things played into the Brannstrom negativity:

1. He was traded for Mark Stone and people who were mad we lost Stone were looking for him to fail so when he didn't have immediate success people jumped all over him

2. He's small and some fans are just biased. No other way to describe it, they just care more about how a player looks than how effective he is.

3. He's an offensive defenseman. Some fans just can't accept the good with the bad. They did the same with Karlsson even though he's a first ballot hall-of-famer but they shit all over him for every mistake.

4. The team around him sucked. We weren't good enough and people try to find scapegoats. Brannstrom was easy to blame when things looked bad.

If Brannstrom had never be traded to a bad Ottawa team, never been called up to the NHL until he was 22, and was 6'2, he never would have received 1/1000th the criticism.

None of which was under his control.

He also came in with a lot of hype from all corners of the hockey world.

Best D not in the NHL, an incredible return from many insiders and analysts and then we have the Karlsson bias (which of course Branny could never live up to).

There were high expectations and he entered the league as a Senator with a thud. Not surprisingly those that were apprehensive were very disappointed.

I always like his instincts so I was able to keep seeing past the flaws and longer maturity cycle.

I'm sort of on the opposite side of things with Boucher but I keep trying! Almost Goal/PG is hard to ignore.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Haven’t listened to anything on the radio lately. Are Dean and Gord still ripping into him every time he touches the puck?

 

[PlayersLtd]

well i mean...he's improved a lot since people had those criticism's.

I hate to wade into this but the frustration with those that were overly critical is/was their lack of patience or the difficulty they had appreciating the process. Small D (heck any D) take time and some people stayed optimistic and focused on the progression (which was notable) while others wrote him off.

It's kind of a microcosm of the debates and divisiveness that the fanbase had toward the team in general. Some people saw progress and trusted the process while others chose to write off just about everything that was happening.

I commend those that are admitting they were wrong on Brannstrom and I won't bother voicing what I think about those that are now firmly back on the bandwagon other than to say it is a bit frustrating to see when there was so much shade thrown at the team.

 

[HSF]

love seeing people eating crow on Bran