[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (American Edition, Vol. 24):

RD Henry Brzustewicz (6'2",194lbs)
London (OHL): 39gp/ 6g/ 19a/ 25pts, +14, 57 PIM.

Henry Brzustewicz (who is actually from Washington, Michigan) is a solid two-way D, and a coveted righty who does a bit of everything, but I believe that playing on a Knights' defense that includes names like Sam Dickinson, Oliver Bonk, Jared Woolley, and the recently-acquired Cam Allen has limited his ice-time and effectiveness somewhat, thus bringing down his numbers. In a stretch of 5 games between Dec.20th and Jan.3rd, with Dickinson and Bonk away at the World Juniors, Bru amassed 7 points- I believe there's a lot more here than meets the eye. The base of Bru's game is his steady and reliable defense, highlighted by his efficient positioning and high-end awareness. He specializes in stopping the rush, angling attackers away from danger using his air-tight gap-control, then finishing them along the wall with a poke check, a stiff hit, or a pin. Inside the zone, he's highly disruptive, with a suffocating reach to cut off passes and clog lanes, and the awareness to rob his adversaries of time and space. He wins plenty of pucks for his team in the defensive zone, staying calm and composed in retrievals, evading pressure, shaking off aggressors, and protecting the puck. From there, he usually makes a sound first-pass, and can stretch the ice with a high-value breakout to connect with a teammate in full flight streaking through the neutral zone. On occasion, he will step up and skate the puck out on his own- and he has shown that he can go end-to-end when the opportunity presents itself.

Bru shows some slick puck-skill and 1-on-1 ability to deke, toe-drag, and dangle against would-be defenders, along with the deception to make opponents go one-way while he goes the other way. He skillfully uses delays to survey his surroundings for options, rather than throw the puck away- although there are times when he unnecessarily tries to force things, which can result in turnovers. Bru is a powerful skater, with excellent mobility to go with a fluid stride, and he is a workhorse who can munch minutes. With 57 penalty-minutes, it's easy to see that he's not a gentleman on the ice; he plays an abrasive physical style, and makes life difficult for anyone who tries to battle him along the boards, or in the corners. He throws his body around to separate man from puck, and is mean in protecting his net- although he can get in to penalty trouble by being overzealous physically. Brzustewicz often participates in the offense, and walks the line with purpose and a high amount of movement; he will activate to extend offensive zone time, open space to pass into, or create opportunities to score. He uses well-timed pinches into pockets of space in coverage, and has the high IQ and vision to make plays to high-danger areas. These forays into the zone, be it off the rush or the cycle, don't happen unless the coast is clear- he doesn't roam at the expense of his defensive duties.

Bru's handling and puck-protection have been criticized, as his mechanics look a bit wonky at times- he often seems to be handling too much from his hip pocket, leaving the puck exposed in front of him, leading to some fumbles and steals. In addition, he sometimes forces plays and is not unsusceptible to making errors with the puck; there are the usual fumbles and bobbles, but he can sometimes throw the puck away when he doesn't have to when under pressure. Despite this, his game is considered to be easily translatable to the NHL, and he has huge potential- watch him explode offensively when and if the older defensemen on his team move on from junior. The more I digest on this player, the more I think he might be chosen in the first-round of this summer's draft.