Canucks prospect Brzustewicz showing early signs of being draft steal
When the Vancouver Canucks drafted Hunter Brzustewicz last summer, even they could not have predicted his 2023-24 season to start this well.
Through his first seven games, Brzustewicz has managed to score four goals and added nine assists for a total of 13 points.
The six-foot right-hander currently leads all OHL defencemen in scoring and is just one point shy of the league lead among all players. He seems destined to finish with a significant improvement on the 57 points in 68 games he recorded last year as a rookie.
He’s been a major reason why the Kitchener Rangers have a 5-2 record, good for second place in the Midwest Division, just behind the London Knights. The Rangers actually lead the division in points percentage, having played one fewer game than the Knights.
Beyond the numbers, Brzustewicz has looked very confident on the ice. He’s well known for his ability to jump into the play and distribute the puck. That ability has been on full display with nine assists through seven games.
One area where Brzustewicz has seemingly made a large improvement is his shot.
He finished last season with just six goals in 68 games. While he’s only played seven games this season, he already has four goals, almost matching last season’s total in roughly one-tenth of the games.
In the clip below, Brzustewicz’s shot looks powerful and accurate as he manages to get it through the net from the point.
Here is a look at Hunter Brzustewicz's goal today. #Canucks
He capped off the day with a goal, two assists, and a plus-three rating.
He's got goals in four straight and points in six, and now sits in second in both assists (9) and points (13) league-wide. pic.twitter.com/yMNnImVL8x
— Dave Hall (@hall1289) October 16, 2023
As a right-handed defenceman, Brzustewicz fills a void at a position of need inside the organization. Along with fellow 2023 draft pick Tom Willander, the two d-men are providing a lot of optimism for the future.
Per Rick Dhaliwal, the Canucks have reportedly made attempts to sign BrzustewiczĀ but the two sides are still “not close.” That is not concerning at this point as there is still lots of time to get a deal done.
For now, Brzustewicz will continue to focus on the Rangers’ OHL campaign. If he keeps up this level of play, he will be one of the top contenders for the Max Kaminsky Trophy given to the OHL’s most outstanding defenceman. No Canucks draft pick has won that award since Jocelyn Guevremont in 1970-71.