You won’t find many players who have perfected the art of subtlety. Hunter Brzustewicz is that player. He’s also a right-shot defensemen. Dallas could have used one of those yesterday. Would a team like the Stars pick him for tomorrow?
Overview
Date of Birth: Nov. 29, 2005
Age: 18
Height: 6′
Weight: 187lbs
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Team: Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Ranked #43 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #52 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #51 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #54 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
Ranked #54 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #44 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 #20 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
Ranked #54 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
Ranked #21 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
Ranked #91 by SMAHT SCOUTING
Need-O-Meter
Hockey is played so fast, and so violently, being able to slow the game is its own skill. And that’s where Brzustewicz shines. Two things he does better than most defensemen I’ve seen, period: body positioning and deception. It’s an odd coupling of traits, but it’s yielded fantastic results for the young American defensemen. There are very few plays you won’t find him able to reverse to his advantage. Like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on ice, he can shake forecheckers with quick pivots inside when you thought he was going outside, and vice versa. He can forearm shiver his way onward, or he can regroup (one of his more consistent soft skills) for better options. He also compares favorable to some of his peers who are projected to go higher.
If the modern defender is to have any impact on turning defense into offense, they have to be able to shorten the neutral zone. Being able to transition is a key part of Brzustewicz’s game, but it’s also a key part of modern defending in general.
We can complain about Suter’s mistake, and Benn’s idiocy all day, but if you want the real reason why Dallas lost that Vegas series, look no further than the neutral zone. Per Corey Sznajder’s tracking data, Dallas averaged 62 zone entries to Vegas’ 70. Teams can’t simply counterpunch. They have to counterpunch quickly. Players like Brzustewicz position these quick counters in a way Dallas’ blueline can’t generate outside of the its big names.
There’s a lot to be said for composure, and Brzustewicz is a model of it. His offense is a question mark despite scoring 57 points in 68 games. While there’s nothing obvious about his offensive ability, I do think he has legit aptitude in that area. He has the timing to either find open lanes, or create openings with his nimble footwork. While not a playmaker, he’s a confident, and smooth passer, able to find tape with stretches, outlets, slips, and hooks. Outside of being an older player, what could possibly be the problem?
BPA-O-Meter
There’s a reason why Holy Wars will live on as a metal classic, and Where My Fortune Lies won’t. Both feature the extremely talented guitarist Marty Friedman, but ultimately technical wizardy has to amount to something beyond craft in the context of progression. Miro Heiskanen is technical, but he also has NOS in his skates. Cale Makar is technical, but he also shoots rocket launchers from the blueline. That’s where I’m at with Brzustewicz. He plays a highly technical game, but his impact feels dulled by the lack of gamebreaking traits — whether it’s the lack of high end speed, shooting, and physicality. I know. This is the end of the second round we’re talking about. I’m just saying: there are times when I watch him play and if I squint my eyes he almost looks like vintage Adam Fox on some shifts. And then I think: “ok but what would Adam Fox look like without his otherwordly hockey brain?”
Good pick — bad pick?
Good pick. Even half a Fox would be quite good, don’t you think? Brzustewicz plays such a calm, cool, and collected game that I don’t see any downside. He may not be a player that belongs in the first round, but how many second rounders could we say that about over the years? The prospect models love him. It’s hard to imagine Brzustewicz managing to disappoint at the NHL level. Good decision-makers usually don’t, and that’s one thing you can count on with Brzustewicz: good decisions.