Canucks announce Derek Forbort has left team for personal reasons
We now have an explanation for exactly why the Canucks made the decision to recall Erik Brannstrom, but it does lead to some concern for Derek Forbort.
When speculation first emerged that the Vancouver Canucks were going to recall Erik Brännström, it was perceived by some as a surprising decision. This was despite the acknowledgement that the team needed to 'mix things up' in their search for answers, following three winless games to begin the 2024-25 campaign.
As we wrote at the time of the speculation, we weren't against the apparent move, but we did wonder where Brännström would fit in on the team? As a third pairing left-shot defenceman, he played the same position as Derek Forbort, who manned the position for the Canucks.
Well, we've now received more clarity on the situation, and unfortunately it actually relates to Forbort. As the Canucks confirmed on social media Thursday morning, Brännström has indeed been recalled from Abbotsford, due to Forbort leaving the team for personal reasons.
Now of course, our main concern is for the well-being of Forbort and his family. However, as you'd expect in the world of social media, people are asking questions.
Forbort is the number one priority in all of this
For example, is this a temporary absence, long-term, related to the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and so on? At the end of the day though, this is a personal matter for Forbort, i.e. it's no one else's damn business, so we will just pass on best wishes and hope that he and everyone connected to him will be okay in the long run.
Of course the timing of something such as this is never ideal, but the Canucks are still fortunate, or at least as much as you can be in a situation such as this. They only recently acquired Brännström, as part of the deal which saw them offload Tucker Poolman and 80 percent of his $2.5 million contract.
The point being, that Brännström can slot into the Canucks lineup as Forbort's replacement, albeit he is known more for his offensive game as opposed to his defensive play. Forbort himself was only signed by the Canucks during the offseason, to offset the unfortunate loss of Ian Cole.
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Overall, this is just another example of what has been a tough start to the season for the Canucks, both on and off the ice. However, as the saying goes, adversity reveals rather than creates character, so fans will no doubt be interested to see how the team responds to the latest curveball to their plans.
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