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

[TLEH]

Understood that they have a strong forward group, but it is rare that a top 3 pick doesn't even make the prelim roster.

Not a lock for top 3. Probably not even a lock for top 5.

It’s the weakest D they’ve had in a long time.

Probably 2020? I don't think the unit is all that bad.

 

[CloutierForVezina]

he‘s a late birthday, so you should be comparing Hunters season this year to Brandt’s last year

brzu is 2 months older than brandt relative to their draft cutoff

 

[Boonk]

He's 17 and it's a loaded forward group. Eiserman was in the running for an invite but it's not exactly a surprise that he didn't make it.

Hagens must be really damn good if he overtook Eiserman for that spot as a 25' eligible.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

It’s the weakest D they’ve had in a long time.

Fans of the team say the opposite. Last year was so much worse, despite having Luke Hughes. The defense had almost no size on it. This year is a lot more balanced, although left side is still a little weaker. Anyway though, the right side is pretty strong when you can leave off some of those that we did.

 

[William H Bonney]

Hagens must be really damn good if he overtook Eiserman for that spot as a 25' eligible.

He is and they play different positions. If Cooley wasn't in the NHL then Hagens probably doesn't make it, either.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Hagens must be really damn good if he overtook Eiserman for that spot as a 25' eligible.

To be fair to Eiserman, they were competing for a different spot. Hagens is pretty much taking Cooley’s center spot. Eiserman would’ve been competing with wingers like Howard and Perreault for a spot.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Its their gold medal.

Frankly its a stupid bias, at least Hockey Canada is not susceptible to it.

Hockey Canada doesn't exactly embrace NCAA products.

 

[Siludin]

Hockey Canada doesn't exactly embrace NCAA products.

I guess technically Canadians can be just as upset about the Aiden Fink and Bradley Nadeau snubs - they did the BCHL/AJHL->College route. They both were drafted this year and both are performing well-above a ppg pace as rookies. Fink is also a November birthday.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

I guess technically Canadians can be just as upset about the Aiden Fink and Bradley Nadeau snubs - they did the BCHL/AJHL->College route. They both were drafted this year and both are performing well-above a ppg pace as rookies. Fink is also a November birthday.

Going through rosters now. Moldenauer and Cornell defenseman George Fegaras might deserve looks, too.

 

[nuxnux1]

Honestly not that high on him, not sure if his skill will translate to the nhl

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Honestly not that high on him, not sure if his skill will translate to the nhl

yeah, i kinda fear that as well, to be 100% honest

OHL this season, the worst of the 3 in the CHL
the defending and goaltending... pretty garbage

the best gaa goalie is at 2.50
you can get to top 5 with 3.00

no goalie has even .920 sv%
less than dozen goalies with .900 or higher sv%

 

[UrbanImpact]

up to 48 pts now in 29 games. On pace for 112 points in the regular season.

# 1 in Dman scoring
# 1 in Assists in OHL
#3 in Overall scoring

Mintyukov led the the OHL last year in Dman scoring at 88 pts

 

[Chaos Giraffe]

up to 48 pts now in 29 games. On pace for 112 points in the regular season.

# 1 in Dman scoring
# 1 in Assists in OHL
#3 in Overall scoring

Mintyukov led the the OHL last year in Dman scoring at 88 pts

Yeah but you have to understand, Brzustewicz's points this season aren't real points because he doesn't pass the eye-test. Of his 48 points, only around 10-12 of them are legitimate.

Like if you actually watch his games, I don't think he's even their best defenceman. Simon Motew with 16 points in 29 games as an over-ager is the superior player because his play translates better at the NHL level due to intangibles and puck poise.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Yeah but you have to understand, Brzustewicz's points this season aren't real points because he doesn't pass the eye-test. Of his 48 points, only around 10-12 of them are legitimate.

Like if you actually watch his games, I don't think he's even their best defenceman. Simon Motew with 16 points in 29 games as an over-ager is the superior player because his play translates better at the NHL level due to intangibles and puck poise.

Hashtag pleasepleasepleaselikemyprospect

 

[Siludin]

They say he wasn't invited to camp because they asked him his favourite starting Pokemon and he said Agumon.

 

[Warh1ppy]

Yeah but you have to understand, Brzustewicz's points this season aren't real points because he doesn't pass the eye-test. Of his 48 points, only around 10-12 of them are legitimate.

Like if you actually watch his games, I don't think he's even their best defenceman. Simon Motew with 16 points in 29 games as an over-ager is the superior player because his play translates better at the NHL level due to intangibles and puck poise.

Wait.

So his points aren't actually points? But an over ager with 3x less points than him is legitimate because "reasons"?

K

 

[Fatass]

Wait.

So his points aren't actually points? But an over ager with 3x less points than him is legitimate because "reasons"?

K

Looks like the Canucks have a potential top four D coming from this pick. HB is a heck of a pkayer. He’s in Abbotsford next season.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Tracking very well for a prospect. I see a Ryan Ellis type career only hopefully without the injuries.

 

[Fatass]

Tracking very well for a prospect. I see a Ryan Ellis type career only hopefully without the injuries.

Very good comparison.

 

[rubenflamshep]

brzu is 2 months older than brandt relative to their draft cutoff

I made a webapp specifically to correct for this kind of stuff! Looks like Hunter's point production has been slightly behind Brandt until he started going off recently. Hunter was at the 93rd percentile for point production while Brandt was 96th around their drafts, though it looks like Brandt's season got COVID-interrupted so the sample size is a bit small.

 

[Knight53]

50 points in 30 games. ridiculous start.

 

[MS]

I'd put Brz in about the same category as Jordan Dumais. Good use of a 3rd round pick, love the production, right idea to invest in skill, has seen his stock rise somewhat in a re-draft BUT there are some huge question marks/warts here and I'm going to wait-and-see how he handles the transition to the AHL before I'm getting on any sort of hype train here.

Some of the hype from fellow Canuck fans based on stat-watching is getting carried away '1st round in a re-draft!' and that sort of thing.

It's a hard road to be a small, slow skill defender in the NHL. Rasmus Sandin looks like he'll stick as a useful 4-5 guy and that might be Brz' upside but there aren't many guys like this, and for every Sandin there are a fair few Adam Clendenings.

 

[UrbanImpact]

I'd put Brz in about the same category as Jordan Dumais. Good use of a 3rd round pick, love the production, right idea to invest in skill, has seen his stock rise somewhat in a re-draft BUT there are some huge question marks/warts here and I'm going to wait-and-see how he handles the transition to the AHL before I'm getting on any sort of hype train here.

Some of the hype from fellow Canuck fans based on stat-watching is getting carried away '1st round in a re-draft!' and that sort of thing.

It's a hard road to be a small, slow skill defender in the NHL. Rasmus Sandin looks like he'll stick as a useful 4-5 guy and that might be Brz' upside but there aren't many guys like this, and for every Sandin there are a fair few Adam Clendenings.

At the very least he can be used as an awesome trade chip in the future. Keep the stats coming

Would be funny if Team USA invites Hunter now and he makes the team and dominates. Minnetian is one of the Right Handed Dman chosen over Hunter for Team USA

 

[MS]

At the very least he can be used as an awesome trade chip in the future. Keep the stats coming

I would 100% be using him as a trade chip right now. He's a good prospect but he isn't a guy who will be contributing to the Canucks on an ELC and his strengths are redundant on a team with Quinn Hughes.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

At the very least he can be used as an awesome trade chip in the future. Keep the stats coming

Not so sure about that. Teams aren't all that desperate for smaller, slower defenseman, no matter how many points that put up in junior. It's not like he didn't produce in his draft year - 57p in 68gp and still fell to the 3rd round. He's also a late birthday, so he's already 19.

I think Vancouver's best bet is to hold on to him and hopes he can turn into a Shattenkirk type, I don't think the market for him will be that appealing though, until he's proven he can translate his skills to the NHL.