Former Vegas Golden Knights first-round selection and defenseman Erik Brannstrom has signed a three-year contract with Swiss team Lausanne HC.
Brannstrom was the third of three picks the Golden Knights used in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, selecting Cody Glass (sixth overall) and Nick Suzuki (13th overall) before choosing Brannstrom with the 15th pick.
The Swedish defenseman never played a game with the Golden Knights but was used as a vital piece in acquiring their future captain, Mark Stone. The trade saw the Golden Knights send Brannstrom, forward Oscar Lindberg, and a second-round pick in 2020 to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Stone and Tobias Lindberg.
Following the trade, Brannstrom found it increasingly difficult to make NHL rosters, and when he did, holding down a spot was another challenge. He played 294 NHL games with the Senators and the Vancouver Canucks, scoring 10 goals and 77 points. The 25-year-old signed with the Colorado Avalanchein the offseason but was traded prior to the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Canucks couldn't find space for him on their NHL roster and sent him to the New York Rangers as part of the blockbuster J.T. Miller trade. The Rangers also found no use for him outside of the AHL and sent him to the Buffalo Sabres, where he once again served as an AHL player.
Brannstrom routinely showed that he was a top-end AHL player but a low-end NHL player, recording 19 goals and 86 points in just 117 AHL games.
Listed at 5'10, 185 lbs, Brannstrom is considered small for an NHL defenceman, which is why many teams have steered away from using him. He's proven to be an efficient puck mover and skater, but his small frame is considered a liability defensively, especially when defending the front of the net.
Erik Brannstrom is headed to Switzerland. The diminutive puck-moving defenceman put up some solid results in limited minutes but struggled to gain the confidence of his coaches to move up the lineup. pic.twitter.com/6ZGAqrofFF
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) May 26, 2025
He'll head back to Europe, where he's had plenty of positive results, both in the SHL and with Sweden on the international stage. He previously played in the NL, playing 10 games on loan with the SCL Tigers. His stint witnessed him score two goals and eight points.
Brannstrom will join a Lausanne HC team that currently rosters former NHLer Dominik Kahun, Rangers prospect Lauri Pajuniemi and Canucks prospect Basile Sansonnens.
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