The Vancouver Canucks have announced that defenseman Derek Forbort is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. The news came just before Vancouver’s second game of a three-game road trip, where they will face the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. With Forbort stepping away from the team, the Canucks made a quick roster adjustment by calling up Erik Brännström from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.
General Manager Patrik Allvin confirmed the move in an official statement, saying that Brännström has been recalled to fill Forbort’s spot on the National Hockey League roster.
Brännström, 25, was acquired by Vancouver in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche just before the start of the 2024-25 season. In exchange for Brännström, Vancouver sent defenseman Tucker Poolman (with 20% of his salary retained) and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft to Colorado.
Brännström has had a strong start in the AHL with Abbotsford, standing out in his recent performances. Over the weekend, the Swedish defenseman tallied three assists, two penalty minutes, and posted a plus-three rating in two games. His play in the AHL has shown that he is ready to contribute at the NHL level, which has earned him this call-up.
As for Derek Forbort, he signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Canucks on July 1st, 2024. In his three games with Vancouver this season, Forbort recorded one assist, two penalty minutes, and had a minus-one rating. While Forbort’s absence is unexpected, the team and fans are hopeful that everything is okay with him and that he will be able to rejoin the Canucks soon.
In the meantime, the Canucks will rely on Brännström to step up and fill the gap left by Forbort. Brännström, a former first-round pick, brings talent and experience to the lineup, and his recent strong performances in the AHL suggest that he could be a key asset for Vancouver during Forbort’s absence.
The Canucks organization and their fan base are keeping Forbort in their thoughts, hoping for his swift return to the team while Brännström takes advantage of his opportunity to contribute on the ice.
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