Canucks' Brzustewicz pacing for best OHL defenceman season in 30 years
The 18-year-old is second in OHL scoring, only behind teammate Carson Rehkoph, with 39 points in 22 games. The mind-blowing scoring pace has the defenceman on pace to finish with the most points by an OHL defenceman in the past 30 years.
His 1.77 points per game so far this season is good for the fifth-best mark all-time in the OHL. If he can keep that rate up, he will finish the year with 120 points. There are just three other OHL defencemen that have scored 120 points in a season, with the last being Jamie Rivers 30 years ago.
Brzustewicz already has eight games with three or more points this season. He’s currently riding a six-game point streak and had another stretch of 14 consecutive games with a point earlier this year.
His ability to pass the puck and lead the attack in transition jumps out when you watch him play. He’s also been showing off an improved shot that led him to match last year’s goal total in the first 20 games of this season.
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The @OHLRangers powerplay strikes early!#Canucks | #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/4LvHGZ7w5b
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) November 18, 2023
He’s one of the top players on a Kitchener Rangers team that is leading the OHL despite not even being in the top three picks to win their own division by the media before the season started.
The best modern comparable to Brzustewicz’s play this year is Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Brandt Clarke last season. The highly touted Clarke played 31 OHL games, finishing with 23 goals and 61 points, good for 1.97 points per game. He also spent time in the AHL and NHL that season.
While Brzustewicz’s scoring pace is slightly lower, his accomplishments are just as impressive. He’s a year younger, as that was Clarke’s second season in the OHL after being selected by the Kings, while this is still Brzustewicz’s first-year post-draft.
The Canucks have struggled to develop right-handed defencemen over the past decade. If Brzustewicz can keep scoring at this pace, he will be in the fast lane to becoming their first home-grown player at the position in a long time.
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