A deep dive into 2024 NHL Draft prospect and Kamloops Blazers' defenceman Harrison Brunicke.

The WHL is set to play a significant role in this year's 2024 NHL Draft. 57 players were included on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, with a handful expected to be drafted in the first round. Today's draft profile is of Kamloops Balzers' Harrison Brunicke, who enters the draft as the 52nd-ranked North American Skater.

Brunicke has seen his draft stock rise all season. Originally given a "C" ranking at the beginning of the year by Central Scouting, some draft experts now have him as a first-round talent for the upcoming draft. A smooth-skating, two-way defender, he has all the tools needed to be a special player at the NHL level. 

Arguably, Brunicke's best trait is his skating. Defending against the rush is one of his strengths, as he is able to match the opposition's skating speed and force the puck carrier to dump the puck in deep. As for the transition game, Brunicke often elects to transition the puck himself, skating out of his own zone and into the offensive zone.  

In the defensive zone, Brunicke can read the play and break up cycles thanks to his long reach. He is also not afraid to put his body on the line and is continually looking for ways to block shots. At 6'2", 196 pounds, Brunicke is also a physical defender who can win battles along the wall and jar pucks free for his teammates to collect. 

The biggest area where Brunicke needs to improve is consistency. It is clear he is a very talented prospect, but sometimes, he makes questionable mistakes that lead to scoring chances. The hope is playing a stronger Blazers team next season will help minimize those mistakes and allow him to showcase that he can be a game-breaker on a game-to-game basis. 

Heading into the draft, there is not much clarity as to where Brunicke will be selected. He has the potential to be a second-pair defenceman at the NHL level and should hear his name called before the end of the second round. Ultimately, whichever organization selects him could be getting a special player who not only can play strong in his own zone but also can contribute consistently on the offensive side of the game. 

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