The fact is, Brule is 3rd in WHL scoring as a 17-year-old. He was far and away the best player at the Prospect's Game - the biggest game of his life. All this kid has ever done, at any level, is be an impact scorer. I've said it in other boards, and I'll say it again: Brule will become the prototypical "small forward" in the NHL. He will be what injuries kept Saku Koivu from being. He is significantly better than any other player in the draft not named Sidney Crosby. Johnson's a respectable No. 3.
For a 17-year-old to make the WU20 team nowadays is next to impossible. The only 17 year old to make the team in the last three tournaments is Crosby. If several 17-year-olds made the team this year, that would be a cause for concern. But Sutter went with almost all 19-year-olds. Remember how strong the 2003 draft was for Canadian forwards? Not one 2003-eligible forward was on Team Canada at the 2003 WJCs in Halifax. (Which probably cost us the tourney, because Staal, Horton and a couple others would have made a world of difference). Brule will be there as an 18-year-old, he'll lead the Dub in scoring next year, and he'll be a franchise player in the NHL. (Better, IMO, than Malkin).