The Canucks were short on right handed defenseman heading into this year's draft and even after one of the best, if not the best one available in Tom Willander at the 11th rank, they chose not to stop there and went right back to that position with their 2nd selection in the 3rd Round.
The Canucks may have landed a goldmine when they walked out the stage and selected the American Hunter Brzustewicz. Viewed as a late first or even early second round, the defenseman fell all the way down to the 75th pick where the Canucks spoke next.
The Athletic journalist Scott Wheeler dropped dropped a piece recently regarding the prospect and it may explain why the Canucks could manage to get 1st Round Value out of him. After he joined the American Development program, he got injured and as it would for any prospect his age, it slowed down his progress big time. Wheeler noted that, he'd been catching up and that he'll finally be able to show his true worth since he was with the American team during the World Juniors Summer Showcase that prepared the teams for the 2024 event:
6'00'' and 190 pounds, he's mainly known for his offensive drive since he was the author of 57 points in 68 games this season with the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL. As a late-born in 2004, Brzustewicz was draft eligible up until this year, but he could join the AHL ranks as soon as next year and if continues to show his dominance in the OHL, it may be the next logical step for him.
