RD Hunter Brzustewicz - Kitchener Rangers, WHL (2023, 75th, VAN; traded to CAL)

[Grub]

He can still be a good player. The Canucks have the benefit of Willander ahead of him.

Not only that we have Quinn Hughes. We already have out offensive D-men.

 

[OilersFanatics505]

where are those fans?

Reddit but that place is a cesspool so I’m not surprised

 

[Bounces R Way]

The Flames best RD prospect was probably Jake Boltmann before this trade. It's a major organizational hole. Even with this acquisition it's still probably their weakest position from a prospect point of view. The Wranglers are running rando AHLers at RD.

To have a guy leading the OHL in assists by 17 is exciting. A defenseman no less. There's clearly some good tools with this player, and at the junior level the offensive production to me is what matters most. You can learn gap control and how to get in lanes at the next level. But you need underlying talent to be anything in the NHL and it looks to me at least Hunter possesses that talent.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

can’t wait for Vancouver fans to about face and say what a horrible prospect he is.

Not a single Vancouver fan is saying that. He is redundant in our system. I hope he pans out for you guys, because he was an amazing player to track this year.

He definitely has his warts (most noticeably top end speed, and his shot), but if he didn't have those warts he would have been a top 10 pick last year.

He's a project with major boom/bust potential, but if he hits Calgary got a steal of a trade.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Hitting 100 points in junior doesn't change the fact that he's a fundamentally flawed player. We've seen countless examples of flawed offensive dmen fail to transfer their junior play to the NHL.

You know what other defenseman picked in the 3rd round in recent years was constantly referred to as fundamentally flawed? Adam Fox.

Small and slow was the drum beat with Fox for a lot of posters here. Right up until he won a Norris. Not saying at all HB is a future Norris winner but he's bigger and faster than Fox was at the same age and is also blowing competitors out of the water production wise.

 

[Figgy44]

Many have already said they doubt he translates....but many still found it hard to swallow.

I just wish it was a bit more quality over quantity. They should've just gave Willander and we could've added Tanev.

Oh well, welcome to Calgary Hunter! Hope you & Poirier kick ass on the PP for years to come!

Flames RD prospects is insanely barren. Based on what I'm reading it seems like he's a boom/bust RD that's in the same range and caliber as Poirier. I'm very happy with that if that's the case and like Poirier we can be patient if needed, but right now, the path is wide open for Brewski to make our NHL roster.

I've thought his upside is a #4D that can play on your PP. Good prospect but probably 7th or 8th in our pool imo.

Will be interesting to see how his development goes, nothing he's done this season has hurt it. All the best to Hunter in Calgary.

I could see him as 4-5th in our prospect pool for dmen (Morin, Poirier, Kuznetsov,??), but #1 for RD.

I think Conroy might add more d prospects into the pipeline, but there's tons of opportunity for Brewski here as long as he steadily develops.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

You know what other defenseman picked in the 3rd round in recent years was constantly referred to as fundamentally flawed? Adam Fox.

Small and slow was the drum beat with Fox for a lot of posters here. Right up until he won a Norris. Not saying at all HB is a future Norris winner but he's bigger and faster than Fox was at the same age and is also blowing competitors out of the water production wise.

They aren't comparable players in any way. I had Fox as a first round pick, his IQ was off the charts. Hunter does not have that going for him.

 

[canuckslover10]

Now that he isn't on my team I am willing to talk negatively about this player on his faults and potential .

 

[Love]

Now that he isn't on my team I am willing to talk negatively about this player on his faults and potential .

Agreed I was just going to pop in here to mention how this young man is a bad person and has no future in the NHL or otherwise

 

[Phrasing]

can’t wait for Vancouver fans to about face and say what a horrible prospect he is.

Can’t wait for salty Avs fans make stuff up to wipe away their tears

 

[madmike77]

I think of him as being like Jerome Poirier (only a rightly instead of a lefty). Very good offensive defenceman in junior with some warts. Maybe he'll work out and maybe he won't, but he's at least an intriguing prospect.

 

[emptyNedder]

He definitely has his warts (most noticeably top end speed, and his shot), but if he didn't have those warts he would have been a top 10 pick last year.

I keep reading Brzustewicz has "speed" problems. Yet he was the fourth fastest prospect in CHL testing at the prospect game last year skating with the puck and first skating backward with the puck. (Also third in transition ability.)

Perhaps he doesn't play fast, but his speed is objectively better than average.

 

[nuxnux1]

Hope he works out for you guys just not toooo well

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I keep reading Brzustewicz has "speed" problems. Yet he was the fourth fastest prospect in CHL testing at the prospect game last year skating with the puck and first skating backward with the puck. (Also third in transition ability.)

Perhaps he doesn't play fast, but his speed is objectively better than average.

To me his footwork is more of a concern than his top end speed. He's actually a pretty powerful skater in straight lines, but has heavy feet and lacks most of the successful OFD in the NHL, especially if you exclude guys with big shots (which he really doesn't have).

 

[My3Sons]

You know what other defenseman picked in the 3rd round in recent years was constantly referred to as fundamentally flawed? Adam Fox.

Small and slow was the drum beat with Fox for a lot of posters here. Right up until he won a Norris. Not saying at all HB is a future Norris winner but he's bigger and faster than Fox was at the same age and is also blowing competitors out of the water production wise.

Everyone has their own definition of flawed player. Hutson and Casey also fit into that category and both have done quite well for themselves post draft. Will it translate? We will see. I'm not the guy to make that prediction. Fox is the best outcome for a smaller guy who doesn't have the skating of a Quinn Hughes. He proves that even without top end skating or size and strength you can be a great NHL player so it paves the way for other players in his mold. At least now guys like this will be given a fair shot at making the NHL so it will be up to them and HB fits into that category on some level. The Flames will obviously give him every chance to develop and have a shot at the big club.

 

[D0ctorCool]

As a Canucks fan, I'll say that it was disheartening to read the scouting reports after continually seeing him put up like 3 points per game every other game. He's an interesting prospect to follow.

 

[Figgy44]

To me his footwork is more of a concern than his top end speed. He's actually a pretty powerful skater in straight lines, but has heavy feet and lacks most of the successful OFD in the NHL, especially if you exclude guys with big shots (which he really doesn't have).

Is this type of issue relatively easy to fix? Or is it nearly impossible to fix?

 

[Nona Di Giuseppe]

I think this is the only reason he was available

Not only that we have Quinn Hughes. We already have out offensive D-men.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Is this type of issue relatively easy to fix? Or is it nearly impossible to fix?

You can work around it, but it's pretty hard to "fix" natural footspeed. Rasmus Andersson is a guy who is able to get by despite not being the quickest in terms of footspeed. He's kinda similar in the way that he's a powerful skater (and more fluid than Brusty) but he's not the quickest in small spaces.

 

[Figgy44]

You can work around it, but it's pretty hard to "fix" natural footspeed. Rasmus Andersson is a guy who is able to get by despite not being the quickest in terms of footspeed. He's kinda similar in the way that he's a powerful skater (and more fluid than Brusty) but he's not the quickest in small spaces.

Another dumb question. Is this skating issue similar to the one where Draisaitl and Tavares spent time working on to overcome? Or is it a different mechanical issue that isn't capable of being addressed (ie: will always be a "workaround" as you said)?

 

[Russian_fanatic]

I keep reading Brzustewicz has "speed" problems. Yet he was the fourth fastest prospect in CHL testing at the prospect game last year skating with the puck and first skating backward with the puck. (Also third in transition ability.)

Perhaps he doesn't play fast, but his speed is objectively better than average.

He has good edge work, but his explosiveness, acceleration, and top end speed is lacking.

He makes up for it at the CHL level by having exceptional IQ and passing instincts, but he's going to have to overcome his skating to make an impact at the next level. Like I said if he had the skating and shot, he would have been a top 10-20 pick. He's a very good prospect, and his dominance has been nothing short of extraordinary, but there's a reason most Canucks fans don't mind letting him go. I wish him and Flames fans the best because he genuinely seems like a good kid.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Another dumb question. Is this skating issue similar to the one where Draisaitl and Tavares spent time working on to overcome? Or is it a different mechanical issue that isn't capable of being addressed (ie: will always be a "workaround" as you said)?

I think there are some mechanics he can definitely improve upon, specifically with his posture and weight transfer, but ultimately he might be limited by his natural athleticism.

Like with Tavares, he worked his butt off on his skating to the point where it didn't hurt him as much, but he still had to find other ways to be effective, because he was just never going to be that quick. I think these are things that can be improved but it will likely never be a strength for him. If you look at the top puck moving OFD in the NHL, there are very few who don't have at least above average agility.

 

[Orca Smash]

can’t wait for Vancouver fans to about face and say what a horrible prospect he is.

Well if you go back and read this thread some vc fans like MS gave you there impression of him when he was a Canucks prospect yet and it was not glowing.

 

[Bounces R Way]

They aren't comparable players in any way. I had Fox as a first round pick, his IQ was off the charts. Hunter does not have that going for him.

Two ~6' 185lb offensively inclined right shot defenseman drafted in the 3rd round who saw their production explode in their D+1 season aren't comparable players in any way?

I just don't see that being the case. They even had/have similar warts at this stage in their respective careers. I don't think you lead a major junior league by such a margin in assists as a dman without having your hockey IQ be an asset either.

Everyone has their own definition of flawed player. Hutson and Casey also fit into that category and both have done quite well for themselves post draft. Will it translate? We will see. I'm not the guy to make that prediction. Fox is the best outcome for a smaller guy who doesn't have the skating of a Quinn Hughes. He proves that even without top end skating or size and strength you can be a great NHL player so it paves the way for other players in his mold. At least now guys like this will be given a fair shot at making the NHL so it will be up to them and HB fits into that category on some level. The Flames will obviously give him every chance to develop and have a shot at the big club.

Yeah I mean, there's very few players even in the NHL that don't have a flaw or two. I just don't think Brzustewicz is quite the boom/bust prospect this thread is characterizing him as. He doesn't need to be Adam Fox to be an impact player at the highest level. Good defenseman in this league can 1) avoid the forecheck, 2) move the puck effectively in every zone, 3) break up the cycle.

From what I've watched of him there's no fatal flaws that would make him unable to do those three things.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Two ~6' 185lb offensively inclined right shot defenseman drafted in the 3rd round who saw their production explode in their D+1 season aren't comparable players in any way?

That's correct, they aren't comparable players. Anyone who has watched both players will agree