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

[wetcoast]

The maturity in his game at his age is outstanding. He’s patient and confident with the puck and makes some great decisions. He doesn’t make many of your stereotypical young defenseman mistakes. It’s hard to believe this is his draft year because it’s hard to find many faults in his game.

I think he’s a safe pick to be a top 4 D in the nhl at some point.

I would love for the Canucks to take him early in the second round but my bet is that he doesn't last that long.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

I would love for the Canucks to take him early in the second round but my bet is that he doesn't last that long.

It’ll be really interesting to see where he goes. I’ve had him ranked pretty high all year but I could see him going anywhere from 20-50. Just depends on what you are looking for. Some defenseman in this draft have really risen over the year

 

[Chainshot]

It’ll be really interesting to see where he goes. I’ve had him ranked pretty high all year but I could see him going anywhere from 20-50. Just depends on what you are looking for. Some defenseman in this draft have really risen over the year

I'm wondering if we'll see one of the runs on defensemen somewhere in the 20's that could draw him up into the draft order? There are so few defensemen differentiating themselves that there may be a scarcity mentality creating some pressure on teams to dive in earlier to get one.

 

[Kevin Musto]

I'm wondering if we'll see one of the runs on defensemen somewhere in the 20's that could draw him up into the draft order? There are so few defensemen differentiating themselves that there may be a scarcity mentality creating some pressure on teams to dive in earlier to get one.

I think so.

At the end of the day, the media ranks players based on hype.

But NHL teams know that the only reasonable way to acquire top 4 Dmen is by drafting and developing them.

Team draft boards aren't going to look like a Tankathon mock which only has 5 D in the top 32.

 

[montreal]

 

[Stewie Griffin]

I'd take him in the late first easily. Skilled with the puck and is a decent sized RD.

Hope Sharks get him with a late first they hopefully acquire or their own 2nd.

 

[montreal]

likely the best game i've seen from him this year, have had a tough time trying to figure out where he goes in the draft though.

 

[Habsrule]

He has really impressed me this year. He makes the smart play just about every time and keep in mind that he is a rookie in the OHL this year.

He doesn’t have one part of his game that could be elite though. He is the epitome of Jack of all trades and master of none. He is good all round which can be a coaches dream.

I think of a the defencemen in the draft minus Reinbacher he has the highest likelihood of being a NHL regular. I think he is one of those high floor / low ceiling types of players.

He is right handed which is a massive bonus. I can see him being drafted anywhere from #20.

I am a Kitchener Rangers STH.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

I think so.

At the end of the day, the media ranks players based on hype.

But NHL teams know that the only reasonable way to acquire top 4 Dmen is by drafting and developing them.

Team draft boards aren't going to look like a Tankathon mock which only has 5 D in the top 32.

That hasn't been the case in New Jersey. Only one of their top eight were drafted and developed by them.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

The Rangers have performed horribly as a team and Brz has been one of 2 consistent bright spots on the team all year. I really like his game and how it should translate to the pro level as a puck mover and ppqb. Only real limitations imo are his strength in certain defensive areas, where he knows where to be and what to do but doesn't have the strength in all the right places to use his body leverage to win puck battles. That's something that can be worked on though. He also doesn't have a particularily strong point shot, but he is able to get pucks through generally but at this point I don't see his shooting as being a threat at the pro's from distance.

 

[emptyNedder]

What’s been holding up his rankings has been skating ability and lack of elite offensive tools. But, I think his ability to move the puck and decision making more than make up for a lot of his perceived flaws. I have him ranked 24. I think he’s a clear first rounder for me.

This comment was made about Brzustewicz in the Shane Wright thread. @Brock has similar comments on his blog.

It made me wonder if Brzustewicz's issue is processing, because he tested well at the Top Prospects Game. He was in the top 5 in four of the five categories--reaction was the only one he didn't finish top 5. That would lead me to believe that skating, per se, is a strength but in game situations his skating doesn't stand out because he doesn't always react as quickly as other top players.

I would be interested to hear what others think--because objectively skating is near elite.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

What’s been holding up his rankings has been skating ability and lack of elite offensive tools. But, I think his ability to move the puck and decision making more than make up for a lot of his perceived flaws. I have him ranked 24. I think he’s a clear first rounder for me.

This comment was made about Brzustewicz in the Shane Wright thread. @Brock has similar comments on his blog.

It made me wonder if Brzustewicz's issue is processing, because he tested well at the Top Prospects Game. He was in the top 5 in four of the five categories--reaction was the only one he didn't finish top 5. That would lead me to believe that skating, per se, is a strength but in game situations his skating doesn't stand out because he doesn't always react as quickly as other top players.

I would be interested to hear what others think--because objectively skating is near elite.

Processing is not an issue at all, it's one of his strengths, especially with the puck. His skating is quite good imo, but he may lack elite top end speed. His poise with the puck and decision making when under pressure (both defending the forecheck and on the offensive blueline) is very impressive. His turning, lateral mobility and quickness is all good to very good. Defensively he gets beat sometimes, but imo not as much as laid out in Brock's assessment for my money. His positioning, especially stick, defensively is very good, seems to know where he should be to defend but still needs to get stronger or learn to use body leverage better to defend at the next level with consistent success. His shot isn't strong enough to be a consistent threat to score from the blueline, but is pretty good at getting pucks to the net through traffic.

I see him more as a puck mover than a true offensive defenseman at the next level, but there is a lot to like there and not too many major flaws.

I think him being a later birthday, pretty average size, doesn't having blazing "beat defenders with speed" top end skating, or a shot that will beat goalies from distance.
I'd be happy with the Leafs taking him with their first. Really strong chance of being at least a really good 5-6 with 3-4 puck mover potential that can QB one of your PP units.

 

[Jives]

He is steady Eddie. Just all round good but not super elite at anything but does have the tools to get better at everything. Will 100% need to add muscle to play pro. I’m a Hawks fan and if he can fall to Hawks 2nd round (early 2nd obviously) I would be happy to see him drafted in that spot. I see him as a 3/4 guy but a very good 3/4. Decent PP2 if needed.

 

[emptyNedder]

Processing is not an issue at all, it's one of his strengths, especially with the puck. His skating is quite good imo, but he may lack elite top end speed. His poise with the puck and decision making when under pressure (both defending the forecheck and on the offensive blueline) is very impressive. His turning, lateral mobility and quickness is all good to very good. Defensively he gets beat sometimes, but imo not as much as laid out in Brock's assessment for my money. His positioning, especially stick, defensively is very good, seems to know where he should be to defend but still needs to get stronger or learn to use body leverage better to defend at the next level with consistent success. His shot isn't strong enough to be a consistent threat to score from the blueline, but is pretty good at getting pucks to the net through traffic.

I see him more as a puck mover than a true offensive defenseman at the next level, but there is a lot to like there and not too many major flaws.

I think him being a later birthday, pretty average size, doesn't having blazing "beat defenders with speed" top end skating, or a shot that will beat goalies from distance.
I'd be happy with the Leafs taking him with their first. Really strong chance of being at least a really good 5-6 with 3-4 puck mover potential that can QB one of your PP units.

Thanks for the in-depth analysis. It is an excellent view of a player.

You say "he may lack elite top end speed," a sentiment echoed by others. I am trying to figure out if that means the CHL prospects don't have any elite speedsters--because Brzustewicz was 4th in forward skating speed with the puck and 1st in backward skating speed with the puck. He is objectively as fast as any prospect.

So again (I admit this is a bit of an intellectual exercise for me) I am led to think that in actual game situations Brzustewicz isn't able to fully utilize his speed. As noted, he didn't finish in the top 5 in either reaction test.

 

[wetcoast]

He was a guy I was hoping the Canucks would target with their second rounder which is now with Detroit.

It's going to be a very painful draft as a Canucks fan between their 1st and then their 2 3rd rounder but hey we have 3 3rd rounders...lol

 

[Brock]

What’s been holding up his rankings has been skating ability and lack of elite offensive tools. But, I think his ability to move the puck and decision making more than make up for a lot of his perceived flaws. I have him ranked 24. I think he’s a clear first rounder for me.

This comment was made about Brzustewicz in the Shane Wright thread. @Brock has similar comments on his blog.

It made me wonder if Brzustewicz's issue is processing, because he tested well at the Top Prospects Game. He was in the top 5 in four of the five categories--reaction was the only one he didn't finish top 5. That would lead me to believe that skating, per se, is a strength but in game situations his skating doesn't stand out because he doesn't always react as quickly as other top players.

I would be interested to hear what others think--because objectively skating is near elite.

I think his play in the second half and the evolution of his game has made a lot of people re-evaluate his projection, myself included.

Early on, I thought his lateral mobility and edgework always stood out as impressive, but there was a hesitancy to use his feet to lead the attack and his pace was lacking. Additionally, his gap control and footwork when defending pace was sloppy at times. This led a lot of people within the industry (wasn't just me) to question his overall skating ability.

But, with added confidence, he has shown us that he can be a primary rush leader and that his skating is a standout quality. No question, his linear quickness is an area that could still improve, but his edgework, agility, and ability to build speed out of c-cuts, has made him a very effective transitional player as the season has gone on. He's no longer just settling for stretch passes. He's leading the counter attack with his feet and jumping up in the play more.

Defensively, his ability to defend pace and in transition has improved. Again, I think a lot of that has to do with confidence and experience.

First half, I was a little worried that he didn't have a standout physical tool that would help him get the best out of his vision and IQ at the next level. Kind of similar to Travis Dermott and the issues that he's had. But, I feel a lot better now about his projection. He's been, arguably, Kitchener's best player in the second half during their strong run under Mike McKenzie. I still don't think he's a top pairing guy. He's not skilled enough. But, I do see a path to him being a powerplay quarterback and a solid second pairing guy in the future. He'd be in that 35-50 range for me at the draft with other OHL defenders like Bonk and Akey (different players, but ones with similar second pairing projections).

 

[montreal]

a good bit of him from Game 4

 

[MMC]

Welcome to Vancouver

 

[BCNate]

Nice pick. We need a few RD from this draft, and look to have 2 pretty good ones. I thought he would be gone by mid round 2, so getting him where we did is great.

 

[Petes2424]

A good pick for a team who desperately needs dmen in their system.

 

[canuckster19]

He was a guy I was hoping the Canucks would target with their second rounder which is now with Detroit.

It's going to be a very painful draft as a Canucks fan between their 1st and then their 2 3rd rounder but hey we have 3 3rd rounders...lol

Feel better now?

 

[Raistlin]

He was a guy I was hoping the Canucks would target with their second rounder which is now with Detroit.

It's going to be a very painful draft as a Canucks fan between their 1st and then their 2 3rd rounder but hey we have 3 3rd rounders...lol

still got him with their third. the lone bright spot on day 2.

 

[wetcoast]

Feel better now?

Yes I sure do but not sure what to make of our picks after the first 2 really.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Hope he makes the show, I can’t spell his name for shit. We need more of that in this league.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Is Rasmus Anderson a comparable if he hits his projection?