Just one day after sending the duo down, Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the club has recalled both Erik Brännström and Arshdeep Bains.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that D Erik Brännström and F Arshdeep Bains have been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL).
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 25, 2024
As speculated yesterday, this was a move to accrue cap space for the trade deadline. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance detailed the reasonings for this transaction and how much the Canucks are accruing by making this move in his latest article. Here’s a snippet of his writing.
“Having shed the Tucker Poolman contract, the Canucks are now in the business of maximizing how much cap space they’re able to toll. Salary cap space is calculated daily in the NHL, and if you’re a team operating outside of Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTI), as the Canucks are despite some high salaried absences from their lineup, you’re able to toll the remaining balance that you come in under the cap on a daily basis.
“By reassigning Brännström and Bains on Thursday, the club was able to accrue roughly $11,000 in cap space — instead of about $2,000, which is what Vancouver would have accrued with a full 23-man roster.
“On its own, $11,000 is just a drop in the bucket, but if Canucks bean counters can reproduce this exercise 20 or 30 times this season, it’ll add up at the NHL trade deadline. The club is determined to do their best to maximize the flexibility they have under the cap.”
Brännström, 25, has filled in for 6’4″ defenceman Derek Forbort as he takes a leave from the team due to a personal matter. He has impressed coaches with his play, earning more ice time and even registering his first point as a Canuck with the primary assist on Pius Suter’s goal.
Bains, 23, has played three games with the Canucks this season, earning time slotted on the left wing of JT Miller and Brock Boeser. Despite his lineup deployment and a strong end to the preseason – scoring in his final two games – Bains is still searching for his first NHL point. He was initially awarded the second assist on Suter’s goal; however, that was given to Nils Åman.
Both Brännström and Bains look to draw back into the Canucks lineup Saturday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins come to town.
