Swedish defenseman Erik Brännström, 25, has signed a three-year contract with Lausanne HC, the National League club announced on Monday.

“We are very pleased to welcome Erik Brännström, a player we have been following for some time,” said Lausanne sports director John Fust. “His anticipation, mobility, and ability to contribute offensively make him a modern and complete defender. Our analysis confirms that his experience and versatility will be major assets for our squad.”

Brännström, who had played in North America from 2018 until now, had been rumored to be heading to Switzerland for some time.

Originally from Eksjö, Sweden, Brännström played junior hockey and turned pro with HV71 in nearby Jönköping.

Brännström was a first-round pick, 17th overall, by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and was moved to the Ottawa Senators in a 2019 multi-player deal that saw Vegas acquire Mark Stone.

From 2019 to 2024, Brännström’s career was fairly stable – mostly playing in the NHL for Ottawa with occasional assignments to the Belleville Senators, the team’s nearby AHL farm team.

However, this past season was quite chaotic for the diminutive, puck-moving defenseman. He signed as a free-agent with the Colorado Avalanche in the summer but was traded to the Vancouver Canucks before the season began. After playing 28 games in Vancouver, he was dealt to the New York Rangers as part of the J.T. Miller trade in late January and then traded again to the Buffalo Sabres just prior to the trade deadline. He did not play an NHL game for either of the latter two teams.

Overall, Brännström has 77 points and 162 penalty minutes in 294 NHL regular-season games.

Brännström joins a Lausanne team that has been one of Switzerland’s best the past few years and wants to win a title this year under reigning coach of the year Geoff Ward. Last season the team finished first in the regular season and has lost in the finals each of the past two seasons to the ZSC Lions.

In addition to Brännström, Lausanne has under contract for 2025-26 goaltenders Connor Hughes and Antoine Keller, as well as American Austin Czarnik, German Dominik Kahun, and Finns Janne Kuokkanen, and Antti Suomela, Lauri Pajuniemi and Sami Niku.

Photo © Robert Edwards-Imagn Images: Erik Brännström playing for the Vancouver Canucks in 2024-25.

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