Player Discussion Erik Brannstrom

[VanJack]

There's always going to be a room on an NHL team for a skilled, puck-moving d-man like Brannstrom. Provided of course he's surrounded with enough big, physical d-men who can absorb the punishment along the wall and get the puck to him, with some time and space.

The Canucks play a very structured system. And it makes playing on the blueline a lot easier. You saw something of it in the last game against a Sens team coached by Travis Green. They've got a lot of talent, but their play in their own zone is just too chaotic. And even good young d-men like Sanderson and Chabot are struggling.

Brannstrom reminds me a little of Owen Zellweger in Anaheim, or maybe it's visa-versa. A 5'10", 187 pound d-man who's very effective for them at both ends of the ice.

 

[kanucks25]

Yes. Straight up.

I have zero doubt brass is looking to punt Brannstrom from the lineup as soon as they find another sequoia they can plant on the blueline.

Tocc has been extremely reluctant to increase Brannstrom's minutes, despite it being glaringly obvious he is one of like three good defensemen on the team. It's taken him 20 games to realize Soucy-Myers isn't working. Only out of sheer desperation and lack of options has he finally started to bump up Brannstrom.

And Allvin never wanted him. He could have signed him easily in the offseason (he was one of the guys I wanted to target!). He was basically just a contract balancer in the Forbort deal and immediately sent to Abby. I don't think Allvin had any intention of him being anything more than like like 9D/10D organizational depth. Again, only from sheer desperation and a glaringly obvious lack of alternatives was Brannstrom put in the lineup.

I too get the feeling they are waiting for any chance to replace him lol.

It'll be interesting to see how things shake out when Forbort and Desharnais are both healthy but by then someone else may get injured so we'll never really see what would happen if everyone was healthy. Or maybe they'll just rotate guys in and out via maintenance days.

But surely, from what they've seen so far, they know that a bottom-4 of Myers, Soucy, Forbort, Desharnais simply would not go well.

At this point it makes zero sense to have both Soucy and Forbort in the lineup at the same time.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Guy looks good out there. Hope he keeps it up and the Canucks have found something.