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The road to the playoffs has become a bit more difficult for the Belleville Senators.

Coach Troy Mann told TSN 1200 on his weekly radio hit Wednesday that defenceman Erik Brannstrom, the club’s top prospect in the AHL, is sidelined with a wrist injury and is now listed as day-to-day. Brannstrom had been getting ready to face the Laval Rocket Wednesday night at home.

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At this point, he may play Friday on the road in Cleveland, but the Senators are planning to rely on Christian Wolanin to play a big role in Brannstrom’s absence.

“We’ve got a couple of defencemen that are bit banged up and he jammed his wrist last week and we just felt that with nine (blueliners) here we’d give him a couple of extra days rest,” said Mann. “That’s one of the luxuries we have, especially with Wolanin down here to anchor that first power play, that we can give (Brannstrom) the extra day and then go back at it Friday in Cleveland.”

Brannstrom has three goals and 23 points in 27 games with Belleville this season. He suited up for 31 games with Ottawa before being sent down in early December.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

Twitter: @sungarrioch

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