What the Calgary Flames are getting in top prospect Hunter Brzustewicz

One of the extraordinary things about following hockey prospects closely is getting the chance to follow a player’s career through its most important stages.

That often means getting a close look early. And you could tell there was something special when watching 15-year-old Hunter Brzustewicz for the first time with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies during the 2019-20 season.

Fast forward four years later, and the newest Calgary Flame has been through a bit of everything already at the age of 19. A major injury. The highs and lows of junior hockey. He committed to one of the most prestigious schools in college hockey, only to change his mind and drive up north to play in the OHL.

Brzustewicz is no ordinary prospect. And there’s a reason for Flames fans to be exceptionally excited about the Kitchener Rangers star.

Acquired on Wednesday as part of the Elias Lindholm trade, there’s a bit of high-risk, high-reward with the 6-foot-0 right-handed defender. Through 47 games, Brzustewicz has an OHL-leading 61 assists and 69 total points, good for third in league scoring. No other defenseman has come close to touching his numbers in the CHL this season.

“The way he touches the puck, the way he distributes it, it’s elite at this level,” a scout said. “This is Brandt Clarke-level dominance.”

For those who don’t follow, Clarke started the 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Kings before rattling off 23 goals and 61 points in 31 OHL games with Barrie. Now he’s playing at more than a point-per-game pace in the AHL, something that’s extremely rare for a 20-year-old.

Anyone who has followed Brzustewicz closely knows his talent. He had 96 assists and 111 points in 66 games in his U-16 season, earning him a spot on the prestigious USA Hockey National Team Development Program roster for 2020-21.

Brzustewicz started off strong with two points in three games, but it was short-lived. The then-16-year-old missed the rest of his U-17 season after blowing out his shoulder in practice, requiring surgery, and missing a key piece of his development.

Brzustewicz rallied back in 2021-22, but he was forced to play more of a depth role behind Lane Hutson, Seamus Casey, and Ryan Chesley, among others. All went on to be drafted in the first two rounds, while Brzustewicz – once viewed as the highest-profile prospect on the roster – was taken in the third round in 2023.

Instead of joining the University of Michigan Wolverines as planned for the 2022-23 season, the Washington, Michigan native elected to play the next two years with the Kitchener Rangers. Brzustewicz had a solid 51-assist, 57-point draft campaign, but it wasn’t until this season that he really showed what he was capable of. It all started with a strong showing with the Americans at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Michigan last summer, with most expecting him to play an integral part on the main roster in December.

But despite putting up the CHL’s most impressive numbers, he wasn’t even invited to camp. Some say it was politics, others say it was his style of play. Either way, Brzustewicz was the biggest snub of any team.

Brzustewicz quickly established himself as one of the best prospects in Vancouver’s system this year thanks to his incredible offensive prowess. Nobody can take that away from him. But scouts still have concerns about his NHL potential, with Brzustewicz sometimes getting himself into trouble with the puck.

Brzustewicz has a high-level work ethic and has shown the ability to step up in big moments, using his creativity at the point to generate high-quality chances. He’s incredibly invasive, using his quick hands to protect the puck, and can be incredibly deceptive with the puck. Very few defensemen move the puck like he does along the power play at his age, especially on the power play. Think P.K. Subban during his early days.

But away from the puck? That’s where things start to fall apart.

“He gets beaten too often on the rush for my liking,” an NHL scout said. “It’s almost like he’s trying to rest and generate his energy for another rush, but it gets him killed out there.”

Brzustewicz was more of a liability during his first OHL season, which resulted in him falling as far as he did. He’s a decent transitional player and that can help make up for mistakes in his own zone, but despite being 190 pounds, Brustewicz doesn’t use his muscle enough for my liking.

If Brzustewicz is going to thrive, it’s in an offensive role with a strong, defensive partner by his side. Brzustewicz has power-play quarterback potential, but he still needs to up his overall top speed and overall edgework if he’s going to be able to move well enough by NHL standards.

Dominating junior hockey is one thing, but the pro game is another animal. Many scouts I’ve talked to acknowledge how good he is with the puck, but he’s got to round out his game if he’s going to carry it over to the NHL. Without the explosiveness seen out of most top offensive defensemen these days – Cale Makar, for example – he will have a difficult time.

The verdict? I love this pickup by the Flames. Calgary has some solid defensive prospects, such as Etienne Morin and Jeremie Poirier, but none with the explosive offensive talent that Brzustewicz possesses. He has a game-changing ability that’ll electrify fans and can be difficult to defend against, but he has his obvious flaws that need some seasoning with solid NHL coaching.

General manager Craig Conroy snagged a good one here.