News: Senators send Brannstrom, Hogberg to minors

Senators make a move by sending top prospects, Erik Brannstrom and Marcus Hogberg to Belleville of the AHL.

The Ottawa Senators have made a few changes before they face the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

Sending Hogberg down was not a big decision considering he was only in Ottawa for the duration of Craig Anderson’s injury. But Brannstrom being sent to the AHL affiliate is a much more important decision by sens management.

While Hogberg’s time in Ottawa was a success, that wasn’t the case for Brannstrom.

Hogberg played in two games, and although he didn’t notch a win, he did impress with his play. He went 0-1-0 with a 1.82 GAA and 0.925 SV%. He is surely making a case to be the Senators netminder of the future.

On the other hand Brannstrom didn’t have nearly as good numbers, but still played well enough to garner a long look by management.

He made the team straight out of training camp, but failed to put up significant offensive numbers. Through 23 games he didn’t score a goal and only got two assists, to go along with a sub average plus/minus of -7.

Traded at the deadline last year for Mark Stone, Senators GM Pierre Dorion remarked at the time it was the greatest day of his life. The Senators traded for a highly gifted offensive defenceman, and instead what they got this year was a defenceman who played well defensively, but his offence just wasn’t there.

He will go to a contending B-Sens team that needs defence, and he will help them out greatly in their chances for a Calder Cup. He will join fellow Senators prospects Drake Batherson, Vitaly Abramov, Alex Formenton and many others who will be a big part of the Senators future.