Film Room: Erik Brännström is Helping Redefine the Offensive Defenceman’s Role in the NHL

The game is changing, and Ottawa Senators prospect Erik Brännström is one gust in the hurricane of young offensive defencemen altering the NHL’s landscape.

In a sport where power play quarterbacks and point-stacking rearguards once wrought havoc on the opposition one thunderous point shot at a time; the modern version is a signal-caller in the literal sense, reading defensive formations, manipulating coverage, and putting the puck in their playmaker’s hands.

This is where Brännström excels. He’s a master manipulator, pulling the opposition into his orbit, and sending the puck to his teammates with the force of a meteor as they glide unabated into the newly created space.

Everything about Brännström’s game is calculated, from the posture in his shoulders to the position of his skates. It’s a