Confirmed with Link: Brunner hits the open market, signs with Devils

[Run the Jewels]

Anyway, can wings fans opine on what to expect with Damien?

He's not much of a skater - go back and watch him getting pwned as a point man last season. He had great chemistry with Henrik Zetterberg which makes lots of sense given they played together during the lockout.

He's a shoot first guy and is a right handed shot which made him valuable in Detroit. He's at his best on the power play where he can potentially get lost to the defense and knows where to go to score goals. He has a quick release. He added absolutely nothing as a point shot so he'd be best utilized on the power play as a winger who can find the quiet spots on the ice and snipe.

He's basically Jiri Hudler, but with no interest in being a playmaker. He's a guy you like to have on your team if he's on the third line but his deficiencies start to show badly when he's asked to play against scoring line talent and top defensive pairs.

If you guys can get him to play on the third line and give him solid PP time you will be quite happy with his play. If he gets bumped into a scoring line spot his offense will start to evaporate and his lack of two way play can make him a prime candidate for criticism.

 

[MJB Devils23*]

BTW, do you think Elias and Brunner would make good linemates? Personally, I think Elias and Brunner were made for each other.

 

[Sadekuuro]

Anyway, can wings fans opine on what to expect with Damien?

RedWingsNow has it about right. He's soft, and will sometimes try silly moves that don't work against real defenses, but he's skilled, fast, and has a shooter's mentality. I would have kept him over any number of our dead weight veterans.

 

[Heaton]

RedWingsNow has it about right. He's soft, and will sometimes try silly moves that don't work against real defenses, but he's skilled, fast, and has a shooter's mentality. I would have kept him over any number of our dead weight veterans.

This is about right. I think his game is better suited for the East.

 

[Frk It]

First of all, glad that Brunner found a place to play, I am happy for him.

I was always a supporter, especially from the haters that wanted to call him a bust before he even played a game.

Brunner is a risk/reward type of guy, since he has the tools to be a legit goal scorer in the NHL, he just needs to continue to make alterations in his game to help him improve.

It's a good thing he is going to a team that has Ryder, since I think that is exactly the player he should emulate his game after. Damien has a great shot, he needs to learn to shorten his shooting motion and shoot those fast-release snappers that Ryder can bury in his sleep. He also needs to try less of those toe-drag sweeping dekes, and trying to take NHL defenders 1-on-1 so often.

That being said he does have a nice wrist shot that he has good accuracy with, and he does have the coordination to stick-handle in tight places. He just needs to pick his spots better, but I think that will come as he continues to learn how to play against NHL opposition. If he just keeps his game simple, learns to use his teammates and move the puck more, and gets the puck off his stick when he has a shooting lane, I think he'll be fine.

Boom-or-Bust type of guy, but if it works out you could have another quality goal-scorer for cheap.

 

[Frk It]

He's not much of a skater - go back and watch him getting pwned as a point man last season.

He IS a good skater, was one of our faster forwards.

He did get "pwned" on the point last year, but that had little to do with his skating. He also never should have been put there to begin with.

 

[Frk It]

That looks like a pretty good skater to me....

 

[Bench]

That looks like a pretty good skater to me....

Feeds from Zetterberg make everybody look quick.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

Feeds from Zetterberg make everybody look quick.

Legit

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Brunner has some speed to him, but maybe not an explosive top gear. He can keep up with Nyquist, who's pretty damn fast.

 

[Run the Jewels]

That looks like a pretty good skater to me....

Cute!

As I pointed out, he's a guy who is at his best on the third line and playing on the power play. He's best when he gets lost by the defense (did that happen there?) and he knows where to go to score. I think most people would acknowledge that defense was focused on Z, Pavs, Mule and Kronwall and lost track of Brunner.

Please show him skating at even strength where he will play the majority of his ice time.

Good luck with that.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I also said he had chemistry with Z after playing with him during the lockout. That obviously wasn't displayed in that highlight.

 

[Frk It]

Look I'm not even calling Brunner a burner or anything.

I just disagreed with the notion that "he's not much of a skater".

He's got pretty good speed.

 

[Frk It]

Cute!

As I pointed out, he's a guy who is at his best on the third line and playing on the power play. He's best when he gets lost by the defense (did that happen there?) and he knows where to go to score. I think most people would acknowledge that defense was focused on Z, Pavs and Kronwall and lost track of Brunner.

Please show him skating at even strength where he will play the majority of his ice time.

Good luck with that.

I agree with you in that he should be a 3rd line forward and on the PP. No where did I disagree with you on that.

The video was intended to show that he has good speed. What's it matter if he's skating fast on the power play, or skating fast at even strength? You see him circle back and get a full head of steam, and when he is at top speed he is cooking down the wing.

My point was that he's a pretty good skater. Not great, but easily above average.

He was one of our faster forwards last year. I'm not even talking about the stuff you mentioned in your post, so I don't know why you brought it up.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

Cute!

As I pointed out, he's a guy who is at his best on the third line and playing on the power play. He's best when he gets lost by the defense (did that happen there?) and he knows where to go to score. I think most people would acknowledge that defense was focused on Z, Pavs, Mule and Kronwall and lost track of Brunner.

Please show him skating at even strength where he will play the majority of his ice time.

Good luck with that.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I also said he had chemistry with Z after playing with him during the lockout. That obviously wasn't displayed in that highlight.

Oh come on.
Why don't you provide evidence of him being a poor skater.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Brunner has nice high end speed, I don't think he has the burst of many elite skaters, but I would call him a quick skater. The difference between him and Gus is much more so the first few steps than the difference in their top gear.

Michael Grabner would get beat down the ice if he fumbled the puck at a stand still at the blue line. When the pk gets it like that you are done, they are closing out at speed and gone, same goes for a botched hold in. Nobody is coming back on that in the NHL, it just doesn't happen unless you bail early enough.

 

[mukluks]

Brunner can skate - end of story.

 

[RedWinger10]

I really liked Brunner. Although he wanted too much. He just didn't show enough consistency to be paid that kind of money. I wish he would have signed a cheaper 1yr contract and allowed himself to develop with the team and worked on his consistency.

 

[HIFE]

This was one of his best with the Wings, from Nyquist

 

[14ari13]

How much did he sign for?

 

[Henkka]

How much did he sign for?

2 years, 2.5M per.

 

[JPE123]

I'm happy for him he found a place to play. Seemed like a decent guy. I think he has the ability to be a 20-25 goal scorer in the NHL. Doesn't have a realgud all around game but I would have liked to have had him on the wings for the right money. But with Tats, Nyquist and some of the young talent at GR he just wasn't a must sign guy.

 

[HTT3*]

Brunner might be above average skater, nothing really special though. He can't play a lick of two-way hockey at all, he's a one trick pony.

Good for Devils, but no question Alfie will score more points than him and be more dangerous on all areas of the ice.

 

[Winger98]

Brunner might be above average skater, nothing really special though. He can't play a lick of two-way hockey at all, he's a one trick pony.

Good for Devils, but no question Alfie will score more points than him and be more dangerous on all areas of the ice.

If he can reliably put up 20-25 goals, that's a pretty good trick.