The Ottawa Senators have re-signed defenseman Erik Brannstrom to a one-year contract, the club announced Monday.
Brannstrom, 23, recorded 14 points (all assists) while averaging 19:46 in 53 games with the Senators during the 2021–22 regular season. His new contract carries a $900,000 NHL cap hit.
The Vegas Golden Knights originally selected Brannstrom in the first round (No. 15 overall) of the 2017 NHL draft, but he never played a game for the team before being traded to the Senators just under two years later.
Acquired as the centrepiece in the Mark Stone deal, Brannstrom split 2019–20 between Ottawa and the American Hockey League before primarily playing in the NHL in the following two seasons. The 5’10”, 185-pound left-handed defender has scored two goals and 31 points in 116 career NHL games.
With Brannstrom re-signed, the Senators now have all seven of their projected NHL defensemen under contract for the 2022–23 season. Barring any additional changes, the Sens will likely start out with Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, Nick Holden, Nikita Zaitsev, Travis Hamonic, Jake Sanderson, and Brannstrom on the NHL roster.
The Senators finished seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 33–42–7 record and 73 points during the 2021–22 season. General manager Pierre Dorion has been one of the NHL’s most active executives this off-season, acquiring Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux, and Cam Talbot; re-signing Josh Norris, Mathieu Joseph, and Brannstrom; and, buying out Colin White and Michael Del Zotto.
Alex Formenton is now the Senators’ lone remaining restricted free agent to sign this summer. The 22-year-old forward scored 18 goals and 32 points in 79. games with the Senators last season.
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