Ottawa Senators: Erik Gudbranson is more than just a feel-good story

Erik Gudbranson is a guaranteed Ottawa Senators fan favorite.

When news broke that the Ottawa Senators agreed to trade a 2021 fifth-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for Erik Gudbranson, it was the ultimate feel-good story.

A native son of the Capital City, Gudbranson turned an uber-successful stint with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League into a spot atop the 2008 NHL Draft, where the hard-hitting defenseman was selected third overall by the Florida Panthers.

From there, Gudbranson bounced around the league after failing to latch on in Sunrise, being traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Jared McCann, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick, to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Tanner Pearson, and to the Ducks for Andreas Martinsen and a 2021 seventh-round pick before finally landing back in Ottawa for the first time in 12 years.

More from Puck Prose

Fun Fact: Gudbranson was initially drafted fourth overall by the Frontenacs in their 2008 OHL Priority Selection Draft, so in a weird way, I guess this is the second time Gubranson was added to an Ottowa team via draft consideration.

So, needless to say, fans of the Senators shouldn’t be all that excited about Gudbranson’s addition, right? If anything, he’s nothing but a stopgap to soak up minutes until draftees like Jake Sanderson and Lassi Thomson are ready to go, right?

Woah, Woah, Woah, hold up, my friends. Just because Gudbranson’s return home is a legitimate feel-good story that will serve as a valuable liaison to a community that still values him as one of their own, but his addition could also help to bolster the Senators’ defensive rotation in what should be a bounceback season.

Now sure, it’s virtually impossible to imagine Gudbranson beating out a player like Thomas Chabot for a spot on D.J. Smith‘s top line, but there’s no reason to believe he couldn’t fill out the second line right defenseman role behind Nikita Zaitsev. Even if he has to settle in on the third line paired up with fellow Erik with a K, Erik Brannstrom, it’s clear the veteran defenseman brings more to the table than Mark Borowiecki who will be joining the Nashville Predators after nine seasons in Ottawa.

According to the man himself, having an opportunity to return home for the next segment of his career is a dream come true both on and off the ice, telling Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, “My wife (Sarah) and I are expecting our first child at the end of March, so with what’s currently going on, it’s nice to be close to both friends and family, and have the support here for us. (And) from a hockey side, this is one of the most exciting opportunities I’ve had in my career, so there’s a lot of positivity on my end coming here.”

Even if Gudbranson remains a virtual non-factor on offense – as he’s only amassed double-digit points twice over his nine seasons in the NHL – he’s certainly a viable blocker willing to lay down a hit when his number gets called.

And hey, according to Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com, Gudbranson’s mother was nearly brought to tears when he was acquired by the Senators, so if nothing else, his addition makes one Ottawa fan happy.

dark. Next. It’s more about when than will with Vince Dunn

At soon-to-be-29-years-old, Erik Gudbranson has pretty much reached his potential as a professional hockey player. Roughly a decade removed from being compared positively to players like Chris Pronger by E. J. McGuire, it’s safe to say Gudbranson is a middle-of-the-road defenseman who isn’t quite fast enough to compete in the modern-day NHL and lacks any sort of offensive upside outside of his roughly 1.3 shots on goal per game. With that being said, there is a spot on the Ottawa Senators’ depth chart at least this season for Gudbranson to come in, contribute, and bring a little extra excitement to his hometown fans from way back.

Home/Ottawa Senators