Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin Places Swedish Player on Waivers
The Vancouver Canucks have announced a roster move yesterday where they placed one of their Swedish defensemen on waivers.
The Vancouver Canucks are getting prepared for the final game of a five-game road trip against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
After a convincing 3-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Canucks sit fourth in the Pacific Division, holding on to the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 19-13-10 record.
With a playoff berth in plain sight, every move matters, and the team is trying to seal its blue line, most importantly, Quinn Hughes is back in the fold, and Filip Hronek is closing in on a return from injury.
But with eight on the NHL roster, excluding Hronek, sooner or later, something was going to have to give.
Erik Brannstrom hits waivers
The Canucks finally put defenseman Erik Brannstrom on waivers. Brannstrom, who inked a one-year, $900,000 deal and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season, has not been able to hold down a place in the lineup.
He hasn't played since December 31st against the Calgary Flames and head coach Rick Tocchet scratched him for the last six games. This is the second time Brannstrom has been placed on waivers this season.
The Canucks waived him originally after claiming him from the Colorado Avalanche at the end of training camp, but he cleared waivers and remained with the club.
The healthy scratches of late notwithstanding, Brannstrom had a fairly strong start to the season.
In 28 games, he managed three goals and five assists for eight points. Among Canucks defenders, only Hughes and Hronek have driven offense more efficiently, with Brannstrom chipping in a 2.2 expected goals for per 60 minutes at 5v5.
The Canucks will surely be hoping that Brannstrom clears waivers once again, allowing them to maintain depth on their back end without losing future flexibility. But as playoff races begin to heat up, the stakes for every roster move just keep on rising.
