Was scratching my head trying to figure out why the Canucks signed Mynio to his ELC but not Brzustewicz.....now we know.
Brzustewicz may have all the flashy stats in the OHL......but Mynio might be the better pro prospect.
The obvious answer is that Brzustewicz is the better prospect. He was picked earlier and has produced more at the CHL level post-draft.
However, in my viewings I have genuinely liked Mynio better than Brzustewicz. Pehaps part of this is expectation in that I came in thinking Mynio would be more defenssive and he has looked dynamic offensively whereas Brzustewicz was touted as an offensive defenseman and has had some defensive lapses.
Skating is the main factor. Mynio is a more explosive skater whereas Brzustewicz is good on his edges but lacks a space creating first step. Brzustewicz looks more polished with the puck and is larger (heavier) and slightly more physical. Skating is part of where the Adam Fox comparisons come in because Hunter has the same speed limitations and uses tight turns to create space (this is more of a has the same flaws as Fox comparison). Brzustewicz also has some of the vision and offensive flair of Fox, but Hunter doesn't have the same defensive acumen and doesn't read the game as well, occasionally putting himself into situations where it becomes a 1 on 1 skating competition, which Fox almost never lets occur.
Both of these prospects are projects (as most outside the top 10 in any given draft are), but I would attribute most of Mynio's flaws to lack of offensive production due to deployment (he is getting played in more offensive situations this year), and mostly just not having filled out yet (Mynio is ~20lbs lighter than Brzustewicz despite them both being 6'). Mynio's skating is great and he has good instincts to create space for himself to shoot (as his shots totals demonstrate). He tends to be a little passive on the boards and in front of the net, but both the shot and the physical play should improve as he bulks up.
On to the stats:
Mynio plays on the 20th place (in WHL) Thunderbirds, who are 17-25-2 and have scored 123 goals and given up 165.
Brzustewicz plays on the 6th place (in OHL) Rangers, who are 31-16-2 and have scored 213 goals and given up 161.
In 39 games Mynio has 10+27=37 points, with 7+12=19 on the PP and 0+2=2 SH, 122 SOG, 38 PIM.
In 48 games Brzustewicz has 8+61=69 points, 1+17=18 on the PP and 0+1=1 SH, 97 SOG, 18 PIM.
Mynio has missed 5 games (injury) during which Seattle scored 20 but factored into 36% of his team's remaining 103 goals while he has played.
Brzustewicz has played every game and factored in on only 32% of his team's goals.
Mynio is shooting 8% and Seattle is shooting 8% as a team overall (but 12% in the 5 games he missed). His D partner, Hanzal is shooting 11%. There has been a rotating cast of players on the PP with a few trades, but no one on Seattle is at more than 12% or has more than 13 goals.
Brzustewicz is shooting 8% and Kitchener is shooting 14% as a team overall, with his D partner Andonovski at 14%, and the rest of the PP shooting 19% (Sop), 21% (Rehkopf), 23% (Swick) and 20% (Mesar). Hunter's 4 most common linemates have a combined 93 goals with Rehkopf leading the way at 37.
Now, you cannot seperate the players from the team in these stats alone, and Brzustewicz has certainly had a part to play in setting up so many of the goals that Kitchener has scored, whereas Mynio's Thunderbirds have not scored a lot despite him being the second highest minute man (and point scorer) on the team. However, I don't think it would be crazy to suggest that if they swapped teams Mynio would be the one at 1.4 pts/game and Brzustewicz would be at 0.9. No forward on Seattle is over 0.8 points/game for goodness sake!
Chance creation is more volatile in the CHL, but 14% shooting versus 8% is a very clear case of one team on a "PDO bender", and another not getting the same puck luck. For example, not to say that OHL leading scorer (on a per game basis) Rehkopf isn't an elite OHL shooter, but I have lost count how many long distance wristers he has scored, many of which have been off of Brzustewicz passes, and I would be very skeptical of either being able to reproduce those points at NHL (or AHL) level.
