Prospect Info: Hunter Brzustewicz: 75th Overall 2023 Draft (Kitchener) - RD

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Discuss.

EDIT:

EliteProspects Profile - Hunter Brzustewicz at eliteprospects.com

Rankings:
Ranked #53 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #52 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #51 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #54 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
Ranked #58 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #44 by THE HOCKEY NEWS
Ranked #52 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
Ranked #66 by MCKEEN'S HOCKEY
Ranked #61 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
Ranked #41 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #82 by HPR/SHANE MALLOY
Ranked #48 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
Ranked #56 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
Ranked #32 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
Ranked #91 by SMAHT SCOUTING

Click to read more...

 

[MS]

Lots of mention of Brzustewicz's shortcomings on the defensive side. Anyone care to go into a bit more detail?

​

He's small/slow and his compete level is ... iffy, at best.

 

[theguardianII]

This isn't going to be a popular view.

Much as we should be pleased with the production this season from Brzustewicz, it seems to me that people are placing too much reliance on his junior scoring. It is a very good sign, but whatever reasons he lasted until the Canucks took him in the 3rd round are not necessarily answered.

I too am happy about this season's production from Brzustewicz. It is a very good sign. However, one thing we've seen frequently through the years is that scoring in junior doesn't necessarily mean that a player is a good pro or international tournament candidate.

Sometimes when someone who scores a lot is passed over those passing him over are wrong and he turns out to be a good pro. More often when someone is passed over those passing him over have seen something that is real and there is a reason for it. Remember the famous line from a gm touted as an expert scout saying "why isn't anyone taking Kole Lind?"

Remember Dane Fox, a free agent steal for the Canucks when they signed him in 2013, when he then went on to lead the OHL in goals for the season, who followed that up playing three seasons in the ECHL, not good enough for a cup of coffee in the NHL and only 3 games in the AHL before he went to Europe?

I took a random WHL season, long enough ago to have players now in the NHL. In 2017-2018 the leading defenceman in scoring was David Quenneville, who had 80 points in 70 games that season and went on to play 31 AHL regular season games in between stints in the ECHL before heading to Europe with no NHL games. The top four scorers in the league that season were Jayden Halbgewachs (24 NHL games, now in Europe), Glenn Gawdin (who has had several tries in the NHL but mostly played in the AHL, where he has been exclusively this season), Aleksi Heponiemi (who has been an AHL player who got into 25 NHL games and is now playing in Europe,) Brayden Burke (who was an AHL part timer for 5 seasons before heading to Europe), Matthew Phillips (mostly AHL but this season playing in the NHL for the Capitals with 4 points in 16 games played) and Tyler Steenbergen (3 part time seasons in the AHL before he too went to Europe.)

We should be delighted that Brzustewicz is having a good season. Much as we can take the scoring as a sign of hope that he will become a good pro, we should not make the mistake of expecting that because he is a very good WHL scorer he will necessarily make a good NHL player nor even necessarily a good international junior best on best tournament player.

I'm not down on him at all. I'm just seeing what seems to me to be the sort of unrealistic expectations about the likelihood of pro success we saw about Dane Fox, Jordan Subban, Cole Cassels (touted on these boards as our McDavid defender) and others.

Sometimes the depth of a draft pushes a late bloomer down the ranks.
It could be rare for a late pick to become a star player, but then some were never drafted at all, passed in two drafts.
StLouis, Burrows, Tanev, Boyle, Kunitz, Giordano and others.

I do think age is very important in junior but so is size. That is where late bloomers can shine with an added year.

Ya just about every draft pick was put on a pedestal by Benning, I remember the groan when Juloevi was drafted and then for years he was the PP quarter back of the future. Alarming was that Juloevi regressed his next year in Junior.

Brzustewicz might get a bit of help if the team's defence skill level is higher than it used to be. Of course he will have Wilander to compete with and that could urge him to greater heights.

 

[Ernie]

He's small/slow and his compete level is ... iffy, at best.

Not to disagree but he's listed as 6' and 188lbs. That's not particularly small.

 

[MS]

Not to disagree but he's listed as 6' and 188lbs. That's not particularly small.

The average NHL defender is 6'2 205.

Its not absolutely tiny like Hughes or Lane Hutson, but he's undersized.

 

[F A N]

Ya just about every draft pick was put on a pedestal by Benning,

That is not true and did not happen. There’s also a difference between having high hopes for a high first round pick vs a later round pick.

 

[Peter Griffin]

What’s a good comparable for Brzustewicz? DeAngelo without the baggage?

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

We should be selling high on Brzustewicz to add a win now piece to this team. If not at the deadline, this summer at the latest. There's no way he contributes on an ELC in the near term given the makeup of the current blueline.

Canucks did a similar thing with Tyler Madden a few years back. They f***ed it up by not extending Toffoli, so don't repeat that part.

 

[MS]

What’s a good comparable for Brzustewicz? DeAngelo without the baggage?

Upside Rasmus Sandin?

Downside Adam Clendening.

We should be selling high on Brzustewicz to add a win now piece to this team. If not at the deadline, this summer at the latest. There's no way he contributes on an ELC in the near term given the makeup of the current blueline.

Canucks did a similar thing with Tyler Madden a few years back. They f***ed it up by not extending Toffoli, so don't repeat that part.

Yeah I would 100% look at selling high on Brz.

He's not going to be a guy who contributes on an ELC and his lights-out start might have inflated his trade value to a level it won't reach again.

 

[Peen]

I don't watch prospects but I saw the outrage on twitter over him not being selected interesting. It's obviously a political decision based on what I see from people I trust who follow prospects closely, but... if you have two guys who you have allocated to be your offense first/PP guys, and you chart him as third on that list.. not bringing him makes some sense

Historically, haven't teams always gone with more defensive/safe options in those backup roles anyways?

Then again, I don't know if he would deservedly be third behind hutson and whoever the guy is. Again, i don't watch prospects. But the logic isn't ridiculous

 

[Cancuks]

Hutson is a future bust. Will be a good AHL player though. We finally get a decent RD prospect in Brz
and everyone wants to trade him for a rental. I'd rather move the 1st round pick this year if we're going all in which I don't think we should be as there are still major holes on this roster.

 

[Josepho]

Hutson is a future bust. Will be a good AHL player though. We finally get a decent RD prospect in Brz
and everyone wants to trade him for a rental. I'd rather move the 1st round pick this year if we're going all in which I don't think we should be as there are still major holes on this roster.

I mean, I just think he doesn't really fit into the lineup well even if he hits his upside.

If we have to pick between trading Pettersson and Brz I would easily choose the ladder.

 

[credulous]

Ya just about every draft pick was put on a pedestal by Benning, I remember the groan when Juloevi was drafted and then for years he was the PP quarter back of the future. Alarming was that Juloevi regressed his next year in Junior.

this still happens. people are pencilling in lekkerimaki as a top six winger and putting wallinder next to hughes in next season's lineups even though lekkerimaki is still imo very disappointing for a first round pick and nowhere close to the nhl and wallinder will almost certainly go back to BU for at least a sophmore season

 

[credulous]

I don't watch prospects but I saw the outrage on twitter over him not being selected interesting. It's obviously a political decision based on what I see from people I trust who follow prospects closely, but... if you have two guys who you have allocated to be your offense first/PP guys, and you chart him as third on that list.. not bringing him makes some sense

Historically, haven't teams always gone with more defensive/safe options in those backup roles anyways?

Then again, I don't know if he would deservedly be third behind hutson and whoever the guy is. Again, i don't watch prospects. But the logic isn't ridiculous

i think he's just not good enough when you consider he "left the program"

not that he isn't a decent prospect but his game has obvious problems and casey and hutson are lighting up a much better league and were always going to get picked ahead of him. does brzustewicz "deserve" to get picked before rinzel or geary on merit alone? yeah maybe, but those players didn't leave the program so they get priority. rinzel isn't nothing either. he's putting up great production for a freshman and he's more well rounded than brzustewicz

people should be prepared for another possible controversy when sweden announces their roster. i don't think petterson makes the cut and i wouldn't be shocked if wallinder is left off also given how strong sweden's defensive group is shaping up to be

 

[MS]

people should be prepared for another possible controversy when sweden announces their roster. i don't think petterson makes the cut and i wouldn't be shocked if wallinder is left off also given how strong sweden's defensive group is shaping up to be

EP2 was playing in Sweden's top-4 at *last year's* WJCs.

It would be absolutely shocking if he was dropped for this year's tournament.

Willander should also 100% be there but it's difficult to predict how Euro federations treat players who choose to play in NA.

 

[Vector]

Wallinder won't make the team because he's 21 years old.

 

[credulous]

Wallinder won't make the team because he's 21 years old.

willander. i said willander. no one go back and look

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

willander. i said willander. no one go back and look

ive spelt williamder a few times..

 

[pitseleh]

Re Team USA: They’ve also invited Buium, who has 21 points in 16 NCAA games as a small 17 year old. Brzustewicz is having a great year but so are the other small offensive defenders they brought to camp.

 

[F A N]

Some of the other names mentioned like Casey had excellent U18s previously. That’s likely a factor. Casey is also right handed zz

Re Team USA: They’ve also invited Buium, who has 21 points in 16 NCAA games as a small 17 year old. Brzustewicz is having a great year but so are the other small offensive defenders they brought to camp.

Buium is having an impressive season. Won’t be surprised if he is considered a top 15 pick by the end of the season. He also has brothers who are 6’2” and 6’3”. Unless he got the Jordan Subban small brother genes, he likely won’t be small for long.

Edit: Team USA has him 6’2” 180lbs.

 

[thefeebster]

Re Team USA: They’ve also invited Buium, who has 21 points in 16 NCAA games as a small 17 year old. Brzustewicz is having a great year but so are the other small offensive defenders they brought to camp.

I think the one invite over Brz that is perplexing is not Buium, but Minnetian. They profile very similarly, RHD, offensive oriented, same size. But Minnetian has struggled this season.

----

And haven't seen anyone really make a deal about Dorrington. The left side is pretty much wide open after Hutson, i think Dorrington not only fits the team structure and has out-performed some of their LHD invites.

 

[MS]

I think the one invite over Brz that is perplexing is not Buium, but Minnetian. They profile very similarly, RHD, offensive oriented, same size. But Minnetian has struggled this season.

----

And haven't seen anyone really make a deal about Dorrington. The left side is pretty much wide open after Hutson, i think Dorrington not only fits the team structure and has out-performed some of their LHD invites.

Minnetian is a 2005 and teams generally try to plot their WJC teams so that there are 4 or 5 holdover players.

Brz really gets killed because of his late birthdate. If he was born 5 weeks later he'd be the odds-on favourite to be the 1D for the US at the 2025 WJCs but instead he was trapped behind Hutson and Casey (who are 10-11 months older than him) with the NDTP and U-18s right thought this WJC.

 

[VanJack]

So Brzustewicz doesn't get a sniff from USA hockey, despite being the highest scoring d-man in the OHL by country mile.

It's as if U.S. born players who come north to play in the CHL, are behind some sort of iron curtain. They have to somehow be twice as good as some kid in the NCAA, the U.S. National Development Team or the USHL to even earn an invite to camp.

But I guess that's just the way it's always been. The CHL produces more NHL players than those other leagues combined--but for whatever reason it's regarded as 'inferior competition' by the hockey gurus south of the border.

 

[sting101]

Minnetian is a great skater and probably fit a need when it comes to matching up against some of the faster skaters in the tourney. I dont think they wanted another offensive guy who has questionable defensive coverage.

It's too bad....would have been good to see how he measured up against better competition for a few games but it's a small sample anyway so hopefully he takes it personally and has a chip on his shoulder going forward

 

[Vector]

 

[Russian_fanatic]

Maybe it's just me, but the first name to pop into my head when I watch him play is Tom Poti.