Former first-round pick and current Abbotsford Canucks defenceman Erik Brannstrom could end up in the NHL with Vancouver sooner than many expected.
The Vancouver Canucks swung a deal a little over a week ago with the Colorado Avalanche that saw them acquire former first-round pick Erik Brannstrom in exchange for injured defenceman Tucker Poolman and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Shortly after the trade was made official, the Canucks placed Erik Brannstrom on waivers in order to assign him to the American Hockey League, which happened 24 hours later.
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin was pretty happy with the trade as it gives them more depth. Allvin likes the fact that Brannstrom is a puck-moving defenceman and believes that he could see some powerplay time, eventually.
'We talked about Brännström within our staff with his ability to move pucks and [be a] power play option,' said Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin about his pro scouts discussing Brännström in the summer when Brännström was a restricted free agent. '[Because of] the competition we had and the make-up of the roster [in the summer], we felt there wasn't really a fit there, but he is definitely a guy that our pro scouts, see as an option for us.'
Over the weekend, the Abbotsford Canucks played their first two games of the 2024-25 AHL season and it's safe to say that Erik Brannstrom was someone who stood out.
In those two games, both of which were against the Calgary Wranglers, Brannstrom tallied three assists and showed off his smooth skating and hands on several occasions.
It's unclear how long Canucks fans will have to wait before Brannstrom is called up to the National Hockey League, Stephan Roget of Canucks Army believes that we could see Brannstrom called up after the Canucks return from their three-game road trip. The Canucks currently have 14 forwards on their NHL roster, so it's possible one of them would be sent down to make room for Brannstrom, if Patrik Allvin wants to bring him up soon.
'That does not appear to be happening during the Canucks' upcoming road trip. But depending on how that goes and how well they move the puck, particularly during the trip, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see Brannstrom given a shot upon their return.' Roget said.
