Player Discussion Erik Brännström |5'10, 181lbs | Left Handed Defenceman

[Ice-Tray]

Your first paragraph is actually unbelievable. He literally did the exact same thing you did.

Stone was 26 when he signed that contract. What are you talking about?!... So should the sens just trade everyone once they are 26? Tkachuk isnt the nicest skater i guess they should trade him too when he is hitting his prime.

Sorry, wrong again. I didn’t use any best or worst scenarios.

The Stone long term deal isn’t really a terrible gamble, but it is a gamble. The two things that I feel make it a difficult pill is that he insisted on a full term NMC rather than the 5 years that we were rumoured to have offered, and Stone’s skating is pretty bad, and a drop or two in his step could prove harmful to his top tier effectiveness.

Never once did I claim that he was going to fall off a cliff.

Branstrom was regarded as a top defensive prospect around the league, not THE top, but a top d prospect. His potential is that of a top pairing defenseman. Whether he reaches his potential is something we’ll Find our soon enough, but this point it’s not a best case scenario to talk about his seemingly well established potential.

In the end it’s not about not signing Stone, he’s already in the middle of his prime, and I’d rather see players like that signed to shorter deals, or not have full NMCs especially for a budget team like ourselves. Signing BT long term on his next deal is a no brainer as you would be locking up all of his statistically most productive years of pro hockey.

Again, the subject of the discussion was comparing the value of Stone vs Branstrom to our team in 3-4 years. It’s not stretch to consider that Stone will have declined a bit by then, nor to consider that EB may have developed to be close to his potential, given that he is a full blown blue chip prospect. Seems reasonable to me.

 

[Ice-Tray]

If Brannstrom was projecting to be a top 10 player at his position he would be a way higher ranked prospect. The irony in all these posts are too much. If anyone is downplaying anyone its you doing it to Stone. Players like Stone come around for an organization every 5 to 10 years. You act like they grow on trees.

Massively overating Brannstrom, temper your expectations. Over hyping guys because you are hopeful is a sure fire way to be dissapointed.

I don’t think anyone claimed that he was going to be a top 10 defender, though his potential is that if a top pairing guy.

Again, the comparison was about the value of each player in 3 to 4 years to our team. It wasn’t a comparison today.

I’m not acting like anything, it’s you who have super strong opinions about Stone, and appear to not have been following the discussion.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Other than speed, those 2 have very little in common.

They're quite similar. As you mentioned both are plus skaters. Neither guy is a great shut down presence but uses their skating well enough to cover. Neither guy has any game breaking offensive skills out side of the skating.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

Did Ottawa actually offer Stone a 5 year deal? That’s a slap in the face for a player of his caliber and age.

 

[Micklebot]

Let's try and get this back on topic, no more Stone talk, this here thread is about Brainstorm. You can talk about other team's players in the around the NHL thread;

Brannstrom was on the radio with Mendes as part of the tour the sens are doing,

He said a couple things of interest.

1) he played RD in the SHL and in Chicago before getting traded.
2) he's more comfortable playing LD but can do both.

I initially thought that he had a better shot breaking in on the Right side, but with Hainsey and Zaitsev, I'm not so sure.

 

[derriko]

They're quite similar. As you mentioned both are plus skaters. Neither guy is a great shut down presence but uses their skating well enough to cover. Neither guy has any game breaking offensive skills out side of the skating.

Historically, I agree with most of your opinions, but I think you are way off base here. Brannstrom has elite skating, but also top shelf IQ on top of that (something Gardiner not only doesn't have, but he is known for making some pretty brain dead decisions.)

I agree that Brannstrom doesn't have game breaking offense like Klingberg for example, but I think he does turn into a consistent mid 40 to 50 point guy. Gardiner has broke 40 points twice in his career and he is 29. Brannstrom will have just turned 20 at the start of this season, and is probably going to play most of, if not all the season with the big team.

He is much better defensively than you are giving him credit for. Yes, a lot of that is skating, but he has an active stick, and his positioning is rock solid. Krug is the absolute perfect comparison. Guys known for their offense, but are very underrated with their defensive game. Erik has some bite to his game just like Torey does, and unlike Gardiner, you will never have to question Brannstrom's compete.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Historically, I agree with most of your opinions, but I think you are way off base here. Brannstrom has elite skating, but also top shelf IQ on top of that (something Gardiner not only doesn't have, but he is known for making some pretty brain dead decisions.)

I agree that Brannstrom doesn't have game breaking offense like Klingberg for example, but I think he does turn into a consistent mid 40 to 50 point guy. Gardiner has broke 40 points twice in his career and he is 29. Brannstrom will have just turned 20 at the start of this season, and is probably going to play most of, if not all the season with the big team.

He is much better defensively than you are giving him credit for. Yes, a lot of that is skating, but he has an active stick, and his positioning is rock solid. Krug is the absolute perfect comparison. Guys known for their offense, but are very underrated with their defensive game. Erik has some bite to his game just like Torey does, and unlike Gardiner, you will never have to question Brannstrom's compete.

Fair assessment of his game. I also see the compete level and the "bite to his game". Not really questioning that part of him, that's why I see him as a top 4 guy despite him being undersized. I'm more waiting to see him do stuff in offensive end that would carry him to the next level. He's got the skating to push the pace and keep plays alive, I'm just nitnrrady to vouch for that hockey IQ and offensive instincts that will make him a Tory Krug. He's good at most things, just not great. Not sure I see him as a better PP option than a Thomson or Wolanin and certainly not Chabot. Not yet at least.

Also, you might be slightly understating Gardiner. He's a really solid D man.

 

[Cosmix]

Historically, I agree with most of your opinions, but I think you are way off base here. Brannstrom has elite skating, but also top shelf IQ on top of that (something Gardiner not only doesn't have, but he is known for making some pretty brain dead decisions.)

I agree that Brannstrom doesn't have game breaking offense like Klingberg for example, but I think he does turn into a consistent mid 40 to 50 point guy. Gardiner has broke 40 points twice in his career and he is 29. Brannstrom will have just turned 20 at the start of this season, and is probably going to play most of, if not all the season with the big team.

He is much better defensively than you are giving him credit for. Yes, a lot of that is skating, but he has an active stick, and his positioning is rock solid. Krug is the absolute perfect comparison. Guys known for their offense, but are very underrated with their defensive game. Erik has some bite to his game just like Torey does, and unlike Gardiner, you will never have to question Brannstrom's compete.

I expect Brannstrom to be on the Senators by season's end but suspect he will not be brought up for good until after Xmas or at the TDL or after a trade occurs.

 

[Larionov]

I expect Brannstrom to be on the Senators by season's end but suspect he will not be brought up for good until after Xmas or at the TDL or after a trade occurs.

If you look at the roster, there is simply no room for him right now barring a trade or injury. For better or for worse, they decided to bring in Hainsey in order to have Brannstrom start out in Belleville and bring him along slowly. It's almost as if the club is spooked from the Cody Ceci experience, and doesn't want anyone accusing them of rushing the kid. At the latest, he'll be here after trade deadline day when veterans like Demelo, and perhaps Boro or Hainsey, get shipped out. (Demelo is a perfect deadline pickup - 26 years old, good depth defenceman, and playing on a cheap, expiring contract.)

 

[Sweatred]

If you look at the roster, there is simply no room for him right now barring a trade or injury. For better or for worse, they decided to bring in Hainsey in order to have Brannstrom start out in Belleville and bring him along slowly. It's almost as if the club is spooked from the Cody Ceci experience, and doesn't want anyone accusing them of rushing the kid. At the latest, he'll be here after trade deadline day when veterans like Demelo, and perhaps Boro or Hainsey, get shipped out. (Demelo is a perfect deadline pickup - 26 years old, good depth defenceman, and playing on a cheap, expiring contract.)

We will see. EB is the shiniest toy PD has from trading EK, MD, Hoff, RD, and MS.

 

[Cosmix]

We will see. EB is the shiniest toy PD has from trading EK, MD, Hoff, RD, and MS.

Yes indeed he is. So there is the Dorion factor at play.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[Senscore]

I am glad he's ok.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Photo shows how lucky Senators' Brannstrom was to avoid serious injury - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Icelevel]

Holy crap. Didn’t realize it was so close. F that Austin Matthews punk

 

[aragorn]

I don't know, so far I just don't see all the hype around this kid. He looks small, soft, gets knocked off the puck easily & can't seem to handle most of the players in front of his own net, not to mention he's lost the puck several times coming out of his own end. He's no EK ... oh wait ... defensively he might be.

 

[OD99]

I don't know, so far I just don't see all the hype around this kid. He looks small, soft, gets knocked off the puck easily & can't seem to handle most of the players in front of his own net, not to mention he's lost the puck several times coming out of his own end. He's no EK ... oh wait ... defensively he might be.

Come on Aragorn...nobody should realistically be comparing him to EK...Chabot either for that matter.

That said, he doesnt play soft that I have seen? He won't run guys over in the corner for obvious reasons but he is tight to them and looks to get body position in front of the net

1st game of the season so let him get adjusted to new partner, system and speed of game.

Lastly, it's like "small and soft" is one word to you - its littered over many of your posts. What defines soft play to you? I am genuinely curious to understand what you look for in players that aren't over 6' 200lbs to prove they arent soft.

 

[robsenz]

I don't think Brannstrom is soft, he plays a hard nosed game for a little guy, but he definitely is getting bullied a bit so far...He'll get stronger on the puck at some point, seems too talented not to. I think he figures it out next season. I recall being down on Karlsson and Chabot in their first few games in the NHL.

 

[Emrasie]

I don't know, so far I just don't see all the hype around this kid. He looks small, soft, gets knocked off the puck easily & can't seem to handle most of the players in front of his own net, not to mention he's lost the puck several times coming out of his own end. He's no EK ... oh wait ... defensively he might be.

You are really obsessed with the softness of a player and you are wrong he is not soft at all, like you could see on the last play of the game or if you had watched him the last 2 seasons. But he is small and so it's easier to jostle him unfortunatly, he will need to adjust.

Lastly, it's like "small and soft" is one word to you - its littered over many of your posts. What defines soft play to you? I am genuinely curious to understand what you look for in players that aren't over 6' 200lbs to prove they arent soft.

+1

To talk about his game since last year, he had made good progress in defense but he is far from what i have seen him do in offense, maybe the stress or the fear to cost goals. He needs to be confident to be good on offense and i don't know if it's possible this year in this team. So the one thing i want to see him be this year is being reliable defensively.

 

[aragorn]

You are really obsessed with the softness of a player and you are wrong he is not soft at all, like you could see on the last play of the game or if you had watched him the last 2 seasons. But he is small and so it's easier to jostle him unfortunatly, he will need to adjust.

The last play of the game he couldn't stop Mathews from going to the net & looked very soft & weak on the play & was lucky he didn't get scored on, but no one likes to see anyone get a skate in the face, that was scary & hope he makes a full recovery.

 

[stempniaksen]

I don't know, so far I just don't see all the hype around this kid. He looks small, soft, gets knocked off the puck easily & can't seem to handle most of the players in front of his own net, not to mention he's lost the puck several times coming out of his own end. He's no EK ... oh wait ... defensively he might be.

Saying this as respectfully as I can, but you probably never will. You have a "type" and that's fine, but it means you don't value the things that make Brannstrom great (or more likely you do value the things that Brannstrom lacks). He's also a rookie playing one of his first NHL games. BIG Drake Batherson looked worse than Brannstrom by a country mile last game and no one is writing him off, they both just need some time to adjust.

You need to get used to seeing Brannstrom out there playing a big role for us the same way some of us need to get used to seeing a local face puncher in the lineup in perpetuity.

 

[Emrasie]

The last play of the game he couldn't stop Mathews from going to the net & looked very soft & weak on the play & was lucky he didn't get scored on, but no one likes to see anyone get a skate in the face, that was scary & hope he makes a full recovery.

It's not that being soft, a soft player would't even try to chase and hit the player to prevent the goal (luckily it was the end because it could have been a penalty, he can be mean and vindictive sometimes, an issue on which he worked on with Chicago Wolf coach last year).


You were here calling him soft before even seeing play, his size is the real problem you have with him not his supposed softness. And it's ok. You have a type. But to be clear all small players are not soft and all BIG players are not rough. It's a temper thing.

 

[Rand0m]

I checked out last year after Stone was traded so I really didn’t watch much of Brännström since he’s been part of this organization.

Watching him more closely now, he’s been pretty good, one of the only players that stood out during camp IMO. I don’t consider him soft, he seems to be involved in the play. That said, I’m just worried about his size, he looks REALLY small to me. It doesn’t seem to affect the way he plays right now. I just wonder how much he’ll wear down as the season goes on. I think longevity will be an issue with him. He’s listed as 5’9” on the Sens website, you gotta be REALLY good to be that small and last in the NHL.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

If Brannstrom was over 6'3'' and had played exactly the same way he did the last few games, Aragorn would be here praising him every chance he gets.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Glad the skate missed his eye. Damn though...that was really close. One inch away from disaster.