Traded Erik Brännström - D - Part III

[stempniaksen]

I doubt that happens, as Branny is not the best when on his backhand. Fine on his forehand.

They're actually both lefties who have played quite a bit of time on the right side at various stages of their developments. Maybe Kleven is the one who could swap to his off-side at the NHL level since he'd (presumably) be doing less of the puck moving and more of the face smashing.

 

[Cosmix]

Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - Hamonic
Kleven - Zaitsev ***
Brannstrom - JBD

Is this a projection for 2023-24? or 2022-23 after the TDL?

I swear, Brannstrom must be the only Dman in the league that can average 24 mins a night for 3 games then follow that up as the lowest icetime among D with 15 mins the next

Must have been hurt. Just not sure if it was physically or mentally!

 

[Cosmix]

Much easier to do when you get up 6-0

Sounds like a great plan for future games.

 

[Xspyrit]

I guess I'll bump this thread this way (@L'Aveuglette you might find this interesting)

Brannstrom among the 219 D-men who have at least played 100 ES minutes :

- 22nd in CF/60
- 25th in CF%
- 21st in SF/60
- 22nd in SF%
- 7th in xGF/60
- 21st in xGF%
- 22nd in SCF/60
- 15th in SCF%
- 16th in HDCF/60
- 47th in HDCF%

Chabot, Sanderson and Hamonic also have great analytics (let's be honest, Hamonic is directly linked to the fact that he's playing with Jake)

Bumping this, changing the criteria to 250 ES minutes. Will also do CF and CA instead of CF and CF% (to avoid confusion)

Brannstrom among the 220 D-men who have at least played 250 ES minutes :

- 17th in CF/60
- 21st in CA/60
- 37th in SF/60
- 17th in SA/60
- 35th in xGF/60
- 18th in xGA/60
- 31st in SCF/60
- 24th in SCA/60
- 81st in HDCF/60
- 64th in HDCA/60

Sure he plays "only" 15:41 per game and is a bit sheltered at ES but that's some very good results. Just needs to put up more points, which he has started to do recently (5 pts in his last 9 games). Maybe the 2nd half of the season will balance out his production as his on-ice units were vastly underscoring his xGF in the first half

 

[aragorn]

Is this a projection for 2023-24? or 2022-23 after the TDL?


Must have been hurt. Just not sure if it was physically or mentally!

No, it's just who we have that logically fits in place until there is a change. I expect Holden to get moved by the TDL but if he doesn't he is likely gone at yr's end. I expect Hamonic to be re-signed, I've said this for a while & that leaves the other guys who are here. The top 4 seem set unless they sign somone else & the bottom two on D will likely get rotated with everyone else. It's certainly not ideal.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Bumping this, changing the criteria to 200 ES minutes. Will also do CF and CA instead of CF and CF% (to avoid confusion)

Brannstrom among the 220 D-men who have at least played 250 ES minutes :

- 17th in CF/60
- 21st in CA/60
- 37th in SF/60
- 17th in SA/60
- 35th in xGF/60
- 18th in xGA/60
- 31st in SCF/60
- 24th in SCA/60
- 81st in HDCF/60
- 64th in HDCA/60

Sure he plays "only" 15:41 per game and is a bit sheltered at ES but that's some very good results. Just needs to put up more points, which he has started to do recently (5 pts in his last 9 games). Maybe the 2nd half of the season will balance out his production as his on-ice units were vastly underscoring his xGF in the first half

Kinda like the team in first half , good expected numbers, but not as good in the actual numbers.

 

[aragorn]

I know you are a guy that likes size, but Brannstrom is 23 and whenever he gets an opportunity to play more minutes for a bit of a stretch, he looks good doing it. He also looked quite good running pp1 last year while Chabot was out.

I know you like Kleven's size, but it's more likely he needs a year of seasoning

What I'd really like to see is the team move Chabot and as part of that pick up a decent top 4 Rd.

I'd run
Sanderson top 4 Rd
Brannstrom Zub
And I'm suggesting these pairs because Brannstrom Zub looks good together. That top 4 Rd return would be an obvious upgrade on Hamonic so I think it can work.

Sanderson will play the hard minutes defensively. Where does that leave Chabot as an 8aav D man? I'd much rather move him, save some cap to apply elsewhere and get out from the frustration of watching him lay eggs.

Would you agree that the top 4 is set again for next season unless they trade or sign for a top 4 RD? Chabot - Zub & Sanderson - Hamonic. That leaves 2 spots left & an extra. Unless Zaitsev is traded or bought out he will be on the roster for next again given he has another yr on his contract.

Brannstrom has the experience, but what does this defence unit need with Holden likely gone soon or after this yr? Size & toughness which is exactly what Kleven brings. He might need time in Belleville but it's much more likely he will need to go to Belleville because of JBD not being waiver eligible. That would leave Brannstrom & Zaitsev on the last pairing which is also not ideal. Then what do they do with JBD & Thomson who will need to go through waivers if they don't make the team during TC? My guess is that one of these defencemen are going to get moved to make room for JBD, is Thomson still waiver eligible next yr?

 

[aragorn]

LOL.

The guy that hasn't played a pro game yet displaces Branny

Well, Holden is likely gone by the TDL or at season's end & without him Ottawa has a pretty soft defence with Hamonic left as the only big, tough defenceman who will defend his teammates. Kleven likely goes to Belleville because of the number of one way contracts on defence next yr. IMO the top 4 is set with Chabot, Zub, Sanderson & Hamonic, would you agree? So we are talking about two spots on the bottom pairing & an extra to be fought over between Zaitsev, Brannstrom, Larsson, JBD, Thomson, Kleven & any other D they invite to camp unless there is a trade for a D.

Unless Zaitsev is traded or bought out he will be on the roster next yr & the same applies for Brannstrom, it's likely he will still be here. JBD is no longer waiver exempt after this season & most likely will also be on the roster for next season unless traded. Not sure if Thomson is also waiver exempt next yr or not or whether they will use any of their other D in Belleville who will need to go throuh waivers if called up & sent back. IMO they will need to sign a big tough D to replace Holden, the guys they have are all too soft except for Kleven.

 

[OD99]

Well, Holden is likely gone by the TDL or at season's end & without him Ottawa has a pretty soft defence with Hamonic left as the only big, tough defenceman who will defend his teammates. Kleven likely goes to Belleville because of the number of one way contracts on defence next yr. IMO the top 4 is set with Chabot, Zub, Sanderson & Hamonic, would you agree? So we are talking about two spots on the bottom pairing & an extra to be fought over between Zaitsev, Brannstrom, Larsson, JBD, Thomson, Kleven & any other D they invite to camp unless there is a trade for a D.

Unless Zaitsev is traded or bought out he will be on the roster next yr & the same applies for Brannstrom, it's likely he will still be here. JBD is no longer waiver exempt after this season & most likely will also be on the roster for next season unless traded. Not sure if Thomson is also waiver exempt next yr or not or whether they will use any of their other D in Belleville who will need to go throuh waivers if called up & sent back. IMO they will need to sign a big tough D to replace Holden, the guys they have are all too soft except for Kleven.

When has Holden been big and tough?

We need good players and more importantly we need good puck handling D who can help break the puck out and support the F in the offensive zone.

We need help on RD. Chabot, Sanderson and Branny on the left side is fine. If we have a legit #1 RD the complexion of the D completely changes and we could even have Hamonic back on 3rd pair.

 

[aragorn]

When has Holden been big and tough?

We need good players and more importantly we need good puck handling D who can help break the puck out and support the F in the offensive zone.

We need help on RD. Chabot, Sanderson and Branny on the left side is fine. If we have a legit #1 RD the complexion of the D completely changes and we could even have Hamonic back on 3rd pair.

Holden is 6'4" is that not big? He's not tough, but his size & strength is a deterent for some. We have PMD with Chabot, Sanderson, Zub & Brannstrom, we need some size & toughness on D, they are too soft with just Hamonic. I'm all for trading for Parayko to add a big top 4 RD.

 

[DaveMatthew]

When has Holden been big and tough?

We need good players and more importantly we need good puck handling D who can help break the puck out and support the F in the offensive zone.

We need help on RD. Chabot, Sanderson and Branny on the left side is fine. If we have a legit #1 RD the complexion of the D completely changes and we could even have Hamonic back on 3rd pair.

Reading the Blues board, some seem to think that Parayko has struggled the past couple of years because he's been forced to be the primary puck carrier on his pairing, which wasn't the role he had when they were winning.

Theoretically, he's more suited to playing the Methot role, and that's what he'd be asked to do with Chabot or Sanderson.

Weegar, as an example on the other end, is a much more puck-dominant player. He thrives when he can carry the puck, and isn't as good when he doesn't. Probably not as good a fit with either Chabot or Sanderson.

You have to look for fit.

It's like when people look at how Marino is doing in NJ and assume he'd be as effective here. In NJ, he's the puck carrier on his pairing with Ryan Graves, a 6'5 220lb player who plays it safe and takes care of the front of the net.

It'd be very different playing with Chabot, a skinny guy who isn't physical and doesn't take care of the front of the net...

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Holden is 6'4" is that not big? He's not tough, but his size & strength is a deterent for some. We have PMD with Chabot, Sanderson, Zub & Brannstrom, we need some size & toughness on D, they are too soft with just Hamonic. I'm all for trading for Parayko to add a big top 4 RD.

Holden is not a deterant. He's too slow and not physical enough

 

[Cosmix]

Holden is not a deterant. He's too slow and not physical enough

I agree; however, he is big. I think Holden will be traded at the TDL and, if not signed, will be let go in the summer.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - Hamonic
Kleven - Zaitsev ***
Brannstrom - JBD

I’m sorry but brannstrom is better than Zaitsev is EVERY WAY. Including physicality. And toughness. And boxing out the crease. And pinning opposing forwards in the d zone. And standing up forwards at the blue line.

 

[OD99]

Holden is 6'4" is that not big? He's not tough, but his size & strength is a deterent for some. We have PMD with Chabot, Sanderson, Zub & Brannstrom, we need some size & toughness on D, they are too soft with just Hamonic. I'm all for trading for Parayko to add a big top 4 RD.

I used, "big & tough" the way you always use, "small & weak". As if they are 1 word and impossible to be separated.

Holden isn't tough and never has been. He doesn't play big or intimidate and he doesn't get to the puck or move the puck well. I don't believe we need any of those attributes on the team.

We have a dearth of defensive scoring and too much, "off the glass" when there is a play to be made. I know I am in the minority but the eye test tells me and several others that Branny is and has been playing well and his advanced stats say the same.

He is not the guy we should be targeting to move!! He is good, will be on a cheap contract and still has lots of room to see his offensive numbers go up.

 

[JD1]

Would you agree that the top 4 is set again for next season unless they trade or sign for a top 4 RD? Chabot - Zub & Sanderson - Hamonic. That leaves 2 spots left & an extra. Unless Zaitsev is traded or bought out he will be on the roster for next again given he has another yr on his contract.

Brannstrom has the experience, but what does this defence unit need with Holden likely gone soon or after this yr? Size & toughness which is exactly what Kleven brings. He might need time in Belleville but it's much more likely he will need to go to Belleville because of JBD not being waiver eligible. That would leave Brannstrom & Zaitsev on the last pairing which is also not ideal. Then what do they do with JBD & Thomson who will need to go through waivers if they don't make the team during TC? My guess is that one of these defencemen are going to get moved to make room for JBD, is Thomson still waiver eligible next yr?

No I don't really agree on those 4 as the top 4 next year. Zub and Sanderson for sure. Hamonic signed to play a lesser role I can see. But I don't know what happens with Chabot. His play has to be awfully concerning to the team.

I think one of JBD or Thomson gets packaged up in a trade this off season.

 

[aragorn]

No I don't really agree on those 4 as the top 4 next year. Zub and Sanderson for sure. Hamonic signed to play a lesser role I can see. But I don't know what happens with Chabot. His play has to be awfully concerning to the team.

I think one of JBD or Thomson gets packaged up in a trade this off season.

Fair points, I just don't see Chabot moved, not yet anyway, I think they give him another yr to get his game back. The team has already said they are not moving Hamonic & it's quite likely he gets another yr too. I agree that one of those two does get moved, I think it's Thomson.

 

[Good in Osgoode]

If you take a look at the career of Ryan Ellis (see below); who is pretty much identical in size to Brannstrom, he was drafted in 2009 and it was not until 2013-14 that he first hit his stride with Nashville. I think that Brannstrom could have the same kind of career as Ellis in terms of the numbers he can put up, if he is given a regular role on this team and a share of power play time (which is going to be tough), he could bring 35 to 40 points per season.

EB skates very well with the puck and makes good passes on the fly. He has a pretty good shot from the point and patrols the blueline well in the offensive zone. You can see that he is trying to make the most of his limited size in his own zone but will always struggle with big forwards, because of his size.

It would be a mistake to trade this guy right now. He is just on the cusp of hitting his stride in the NHL.
We are just starting to see what he can bring offensively. Kleven and Brann could be a really solid pairing for this team for the next 10 years.

 

[JD1]

If you take a look at the career of Ryan Ellis (see below); who is pretty much identical in size to Brannstrom, he was drafted in 2009 and it was not until 2013-14 that he first hit his stride with Nashville. I think that Brannstrom could have the same kind of career as Ellis in terms of the numbers he can put up, if he is given a regular role on this team and a share of power play time (which is going to be tough), he could bring 35 to 40 points per season.

EB skates very well with the puck and makes good passes on the fly. He has a pretty good shot from the point and patrols the blueline well in the offensive zone. You can see that he is trying to make the most of his limited size in his own zone but will always struggle with big forwards, because of his size.

It would be a mistake to trade this guy right now. He is just on the cusp of hitting his stride in the NHL.
We are just starting to see what he can bring offensively. Kleven and Brann could be a really solid pairing for this team for the next 10 years.

View attachment 654661

This is part of the reason I'm thinking they should move Chabot

@aragorn you said give him another year and see if he figures it out. What if he doesn't? 8aav and backloaded. Another 82 games like this and that contract is a cap dump.

I think Sanderson has already established that he's better than Chabot defensively. Given how PPs are structured these days with the drop back and forwards carrying it thru the neutral zone for zone entry, the D role on the PP is puck distribution and I think both Sanderson and Brannstrom have established they can do that.

I'd move Chabot and look for a 5+AAV RD to play in the top 4 and run Sanderson and Brannstrom on the left side.

On another note.... there's zero complaining this year about the drop back zone entry approach. Our young guys have got much better at it and DeBrincat and Giroux are also pretty good in that role

 

[Masked]

This is part of the reason I'm thinking they should move Chabot

Yes. They should move Chabot. ....to the right side and have him play with Sanderson. Keep Brannstrom with Zub. You have your top four and no need to acquire someone else for it.

Assen na yo!

 

[Adele Dazeem]

This is part of the reason I'm thinking they should move Chabot

@aragorn you said give him another year and see if he figures it out. What if he doesn't? 8aav and backloaded. Another 82 games like this and that contract is a cap dump.

I think Sanderson has already established that he's better than Chabot defensively. Given how PPs are structured these days with the drop back and forwards carrying it thru the neutral zone for zone entry, the D role on the PP is puck distribution and I think both Sanderson and Brannstrom have established they can do that.

I'd move Chabot and look for a 5+AAV RD to play in the top 4 and run Sanderson and Brannstrom on the left side.

On another note.... there's zero complaining this year about the drop back zone entry approach. Our young guys have got much better at it and DeBrincat and Giroux are also pretty good in that role

I love how in one season Sanderson has proved to you that he's better than Chabot, and in the same season Chabot has lost his spot on this team. If you don't see the fallacy behind that, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[HSF]

This is part of the reason I'm thinking they should move Chabot

@aragorn you said give him another year and see if he figures it out. What if he doesn't? 8aav and backloaded. Another 82 games like this and that contract is a cap dump.

I think Sanderson has already established that he's better than Chabot defensively. Given how PPs are structured these days with the drop back and forwards carrying it thru the neutral zone for zone entry, the D role on the PP is puck distribution and I think both Sanderson and Brannstrom have established they can do that.

I'd move Chabot and look for a 5+AAV RD to play in the top 4 and run Sanderson and Brannstrom on the left side.

On another note.... there's zero complaining this year about the drop back zone entry approach. Our young guys have got much better at it and DeBrincat and Giroux are also pretty good in that role

Why are people in such a rush to destroy our depth? Chabot looked awesome in his first run here too.

Why can't we enjoy Chabot Sandy and Branny here for next season and then when Sanderson needs a contract we look into things more closely. bridging Sanderson is also an option

We have cap space to run it. We also know the cap will have a massive jump soon.

 

[OD99]

Gordon Wilson just can't help himself.

Talking about Sanderaon being out and Branny playing well but has to add, "He had a few misteps against Boston".

No sh!t. Everyone has a few misteps every game.

 

[Masked]

Gordon Wilson just can't help himself.

Talking about Sanderaon being out and Branny playing well but has to add, "He had a few misteps against Boston".

No sh!t. Everyone has a few misteps every game.

Only playing his third game in 64 hours against the best team in the league. But, sure, judge him on a few missteps in that game. Makes sense, Goodie!

Assen na yo!

 

[Cosmix]

Gordon Wilson just can't help himself.

Talking about Sanderaon being out and Branny playing well but has to add, "He had a few misteps against Boston".

No sh!t. Everyone has a few misteps every game.

Gord Wilson is a talking head for the Senators organization; he toes the company line.