Welcome to ‘Meet a New Canuck’, the annual series that introduces you to the newest members of the Vancouver Canucks. Our newest entry is defenceman Erik Gudbranson.
Meet a New Canuck: Erik Gudbranson
While the trade market was quiet for the Canucks this off-season, they did make one crucial move: acquiring Erik Gudbranson, a defender from the Florida Panthers. While they gave up a respectable package to acquire him (former first round pick Jared McCann, along with a second round pick, and other assorted selections going each way), he did fill the crucial void of a top-four defender, while also making the Canucks a far more difficult team to play against.
One of the most evident weaknesses for the Canucks last season certainly came from their depth on the blue line. While injuries certainly played a factor, with both Dan Hamhuis and Alex Edler missing significant time, it certainly wasn’t anything to write home about, even when healthy. The top pair of Edler and Chris Tanev continued to be rock solid defensively, further proving themselves as a legitimate shutdown pairing. Though Edler’s offensive numbers, while not horrible, did leave some room for improvement, with a pace of just 31 points.
Beyond those two, rookie Ben Hutton had a marvelous rookie year, rounding out the positives for 2015-16. Hamhuis, now with the Dallas Stars, underwhelmed, Luca Sbisa reinforced the negative public opinion regarding his play, Yannick Weber took a massive step backwards from a ten goal season in 2014-15, and Matt Bartkowski proved to not be capable of serviceable NHL hockey. It was, to be frank, a travesty. And while Gubranson won’t fix all those issues, he will provide major improvement in a lot of areas.
First of all, he will now provide the Canucks with some toughness on the back-end. This proves crucial in that it takes pressure off of Edler to be a physical presence, and allows the coaching staff to be a little more flexible in their usage of Sbisa on an every game basis. Additionally, should Gudbranson take on a physical shutdown role on the second pairing, Hutton will be given more freedom in regards to his offensive capabilities and could thrive in a role with emphasis on puck movement. He makes the Canucks a much more well-rounded hockey club, and will help remove the stigma around the team as it relates to being “soft”.
Gudbranson, selected third overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has never quite lived up to his potential as a top-end defender, but has carved out a nice career thus far as a reliable top-four presence. He made his debut in the 2011-12 campaign, and has since appeared in 311 NHL contests. Hardly an offensive catalyst, the 24-year old has put up just 11 goals and 43 total point in that time, but has accumulated 346 penalty minutes. Gudbranson is thought of as a leader, and a character player who greatly benefits any locker room he steps into.
In 2011, Gudbranson took home the silver medal as a member of Team Canada‘s World Junior Championship roster. He also won the gold medal in the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament as a member of the Canadian squad. Before his National Hockey League days, Gudbranson was a member of the American Hockey League‘s San Antonio Rampage, as well as the Ontario Hockey League‘s Kingston Frontenacs.
Gudbranson could prove to be a core member of the Canucks going forward, and while some may justifiably criticize what it took to acquire him, there is no doubt he makes Vancouver a better hockey club. Will he ever become the elite blue liner he was projected as in his draft year? Probably not, but he could prove to be a valuable asset for the Canucks and their playoff chances in 2016-17.
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