Peasy
Registered User
Also the fact that Henry is playing behind Dickinson and Bonk right now.
RD Henry Brzustewicz - Shattuck St. Mary's, U14 AAA (2025 Draft)
- Thread starter GermanSpitfire
- Start date
Starry Knight
Tele-Wyatt
5 on 5 he's been paired with Dickinson this year, but he certainly doesn't get much powerplay time due to them.
He's got really great instincts to complement Dickinson, which has helped Dickinson to let loose offensively this season. Not that Bonk wasn't a good partner for Dickinson, but I think that Brzustewicz can make some better reads offensively to play off of Dickinson.
Hockeyville USA
Registered User
Would you suggest Brzustewicz warrants mid to late 1st round consideration or is he a stable beginning of the 2nd round target?
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Hunter was behind a very talented NTDP blue line as one of the youngest players on the team, so it’s a little explainable. You could see the ability, but he dealt with injuries and was a little behind some very good players.
Hockeyville USA
Registered User
I'm aware yes, but then he went to Kitchener and was merely good but not great in his 18 year old season in the O.
Starry Knight
Tele-Wyatt
If Dallas took him with a late first, I wouldn't be upset. Not that I am an impartial observer though.
frontsfan67
Registered User
- Dec 3, 2022
- 4,033
- 2,627
I think he’ll also benefit from the distinct lack of high-level RHD this year. Hensler/Mrtka/Fiddler/Trethewey all seem to be ranked higher currently yet none are really cementing their spot as a must draft RHD. I’m not sure how high he can rise but the door is open this year.
Hockeyville USA
Registered User
I’d be shocked if you see him in the first round - doesn’t have the specific skill set and hes on loaded London that overvalues talent - or if hes on the bottom 2 teams i dont see any talk of first round .
Starry Knight
Tele-Wyatt
He won't be Dickinson's partner anymore and will be playing, likely, on the third pairing with Fimis. I think this next month, with Bonk and Dickinson gone, will be critical for him to prove himself for the draft.
Late in the season and in the playoffs, Dale Hunter tends to aggressively shorten his bench to the point where the third pairing and fourth line barely touch the ice.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
- Jul 20, 2020
- 12,443
- 22,606
Honestly I think Henry is better than his brother at the same age, he’s bigger, a better skater and is more physical. I really enjoy watching him in London and I see a potential top-4 defender at the NHL level here. I think he slots himself in the first round on draft day and we will see continued offensive success in the OHL going forward. Shame he didn’t want to report to Ottawa.
Juxtaposer
Outro: Divina Comedia
I have questions about Henry's hockey IQ. His tools are respectable. I just feel like he's got that "jack of all trades, master of none" archetype that struggles to find a role in pro hockey the way a guy with his size often does.
That said, I think there's a player there. Being a RHD probably makes him an early-2nd rounder at least.
Agree - he does everything solid but the question is he’s on massive loaded team which is dramatically easier to look good for a dmen . He didn’t make Hlinka cup so obviously USA hockey didn’t love his play over the summer against top kids from the states . For a weak defensive draft class he will go second - third round . He doesn’t fit mold to run a power play or be huge shut down dmen so as you pointed out he’s right in middle and tough evaluation for the future . The big question wouldn’t he be better going to NCAA college the next 2-3 years for his development than staying in London . He’s from Michigan last i look they had pretty good programs there lol
covfefe
Zoltan Poszar's Burner
- Feb 5, 2014
- 5,300
- 6,499
Anecdotally, I spent some time in Halifax years ago during Weegar's rookie season and I've seen about the same # of games in London this year.
Brzustewicz reminds me a lot of Weegar, both pre and post-draft. The miscues, slip passes, physical play, big shot - they have a lot in common. And I think Henry might be a better skater at the same age.
Overall he's a bet I'd be happy to see my team make. If this guy hits, you have a ~$50m player picked 20-30 spots below where he should've gone. If he misses, well, that's usually what happens to guys in the late 20s/30s/early 40s. Good r/r.
Juxtaposer
Outro: Divina Comedia
Weegar is a really interesting case, actually. I watched a lot of Halifax from 2012-2014 as a Sharks fan for Konrad Abeltshauser (I know, throwback) and then for Timo Meier, in addition to normal non-Sharks draft scouting for Mackinnon/Drouin/Ehlers during that time period. I remember thinking that Weeger was a really interesting player, but I never could have foreseen how he'd develop into a legit #1 NHL defenseman. Purely on stats, he should have gone higher than the seventh round.
I do kinda see what you're getting with comparing Brzustewicz to him, but I will say that I think Weegar changed his game significantly in his early pro years from what he was as a juniors player. Anyone taking Henry in the 1st round would be looking at a guy with good tools and no clear niche and thinking about how they could mold him into a defensive specialist, especially as a righty.
Take Timmy Liljegren as an example. The Sharks are currently in the process of trying to mold him into a defensive specialist who can move the puck adequately rather than the offensive puck-moving waterbug he was drafted to be. Brzustewicz is probably a player on a long developmental run, if he makes it in a meaningful role, but he's definitely got enough to make teams think they can work with him. I wouldn't be mad at all if the Sharks took him at 33rd.
