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Possible Destinations For Damien Brunner

August 26, 2013, 10:13 AM ET [20 Comments]
Todd Cordell
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
You can follow Todd on Twitter @ToddCordell!

Here we are nearing the end of August and Damien Brunner is still looking for work.

The 27-year-old forward scored 12 goals and recorded 26 points in 44 regular seasons games with Detroit this season. He actually upped his play in the playoffs, especially in Detroit's first round matchup against Anaheim, and scored five times and added nine points in 14 games.

Despite what he showed during his rather impressive rookie campaign, a team has yet to make a serious enough pitch to get him to sign on the dotted line.

Brunner's agent has spoken publicly a couple times and remains adamant that Brunner won't return to Europe and will play in the NHL this season. So with Brunner, it's not a matter of if he signs in the NHL but when and where.

There's been no time frame given, but I have to believe Brunner will want to find a new home before training camps open up around the 10th of September.

In this post, I'll look at some possible landing spots for Brunner. The three teams that will be listed make most sense, in my opinion, as they all have cap space to afford Brunner as well as a need for a top-6/top-9 forward.

Could he land elsewhere? Quite possibly, but these are some destinations that make a lot of sense to me.

New York Islanders

To me, the Islanders make the most sense for Brunner. Obviously Brunner would like to maximize compensation in terms of money, but opportunity to play in a scoring role seems extremely important to Brunner and to me there's no better fit in that regard.

With Brad Boyes departing this summer, there's a nice big hole to the right of John Tavares on the top line. If Brunner were to end up on the Islanders he'd have a glorious opportunity to produce and play a big role on a line with Tavares and perennial 30 goal-scorer Matt Moulson.

The Islanders also have the money to compensate Brunner nicely and they're a team that should compete for a playoff spot again this season.

New Jersey Devils

With the additions of Michael Ryder, Ryane Clowe and Jaromir Jagr, the need for a player like Brunner isn't nearly as high as it was. That said, the Devils are always looking to improve in any way possible and Brunner would be a very nice addition to solidify the top-9.

Depending on the amount of money Adam Henrique gets on his next contract, the Devils should have more than enough money to make a competitive offer to Brunner. Playing in New Jersey may not be as attractive as the possibility of playing in New York on a line with Tavares and Moulson, but it'd be a nice option to have.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings haven't closed the door on bringing Brunner back, but at this point they're in a tough situation. They're very tight for money with regards to the cap and they have an abundance of NHL forwards under contract. If they could move a couple guys out and shed some salary a return, at least in the short-term, could make sense for both sides.

Detroit would get a quality player back and Brunner would get another year to play with Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, etc. Another year in Detroit would allow him a full season to prove himself and try to get in position to cash in on his next contract.

It'll certainly be interesting to see where Brunner ends up. I really like his game and think he'll be well worth the money it looks like he'll have to settle for.

**

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Expectations for Adam Larsson?

Why the Devils will compete for a playoff spot.

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