Hunter Brzustewicz is a part of the return in the trade that saw Elias Lindholm go from Calgary to Vancouver. More on what the Flames are getting with their new prospect.
In June 2023, Hunter Brzustewicz heard his name called by the Vancouver Canucks in the 3rd round of the NHL Entry Draft. Due to a trade yesterday , Brzustewicz will be reporting somewhere else when he cracks the NHL.
Brzustewicz was a significant piece in the trade that saw Elias Lindholm go from Calgary to Vancouver. Brzustewicz' rights are now in the hands of the Calgary Flames, as they receive a haul in return for Lindholm.
Brzustewicz may be an underrated piece in this deal with Andrei Kuzmenko and a first-round pick also in the return package, but the defenceman has the potential to be the best piece in this return.
The Kitchener Rangers defenceman leads all OHL defenders in points with 69 points through 49 games. Brzustewicz is hands-down one of the best puck movers in junior hockey right now. He is a breakout catalyst and he is always looking to gain an entry with a pass. He's always reliable with the puck in his hands. If you are on the ice with Brzustewicz, expect that he will find you.
This season, Brzustewicz has rounded out his game in several ways. He has gained more of a shooting mentality, and he no longer over-passes. He has learned to trust himself with the puck more to carry it longer on the rush, and take risks to create offence. He has also improved his defence in front and his ability to box out. He has always been an effective rush defender with a precise stick, but he has finally started to improve his net-front defence.
Brzustewicz has been the ultimate cornerstone of the Kitchener Rangers this season, and he has the potential to be that at the NHL level as well.
He can be that Adam Fox-type of defender who creates lots of offence with his puck moving ability, but also lines up on your first penalty-kill unit and can handle top matchups defensively.
The ceiling for Brzustewicz is incredibly intriguing, and the Flames have gotten a prospect who has skyrocketed his own value so far this season.
Best case scenario, the Flames have given up their current first line centre for a future top pairing defender — which would make this trade worthwhile for Calgary.