NHL Prospect Roundup: Is Vancouver Canucks’ Hunter Brzustewicz the best defenseman in the CHL?

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
NHL Prospect Roundup: Is Vancouver Canucks’ Hunter Brzustewicz the best defenseman in the CHL?

It’s not every year the OHL enters its fourth month of competition and a defenseman is in the top three in scoring.

That’s exactly the case for Kitchener Rangers defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz, who has 46 points in 28 games. The top two spots are occupied by teammates Carson Rehkopf (50 points in 28 games) and Matthew Sop (46 points in 28 games), but Brzustewicz – a stout puck-moving defenseman with the itch to contribute offensively – often gets the fun started from the point.

Drafted 75th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2023, Brzustewicz was seen as a potential first-round pick early on. He had a solid 57-point rookie season with Kitchener last year, but his defensive game needed refinement. And it still does, no question about it. And that’s one of the reasons why he was kept off USA’s world junior roster for 2024. He used to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, and he stood out at the World Junior Summer Showcase. But that still wasn’t enough in the end.

But the Canucks have to be thrilled with what they’re seeing. Brzustewicz is dominating as a 19-year-old and could potentially fill a role on the Canucks’ power play as early as next year. Again, his defensive game leaves a bit to be desired, but there are so many compelling aspects to his game that make him one of the best CHL defensemen around today. His puck work, his skating, you name it. He’s fun to watch, and he’s giving Kitchener everything possible to make the Memorial Cup next spring.

WHL

– If any defenseman can challenge Brzustewicz’s reign, it’s Denton Mateychuk. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect set a Moose Jaw Warriors franchise record thanks to a 21-game point streak, scoring six goals and 33 points in that span. That includes 10 points in his past five games and seven in three outings this past week. At this rate, the offensive defenseman is on pace for 95 points in his third full season of WHL action. The Blue Jackets have some great options on the blueline moving forward, but Mateychuk – drafted 12th overall in 2022 – has some incredible top-four potential right now. I fully expect him to challenge for a roster spot in Ohio next September.

OHL

– Saginaw is on quite the run, going 9-1-0 in the past 10 games – and they only lost by a goal in that one defeat. In six games since Nov. 22, Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Matyas Sapovaliv has 15 points thanks to three games with at least three points each. He’s been so valuable in recent weeks while helping lead a dangerous Spirit forward group that includes Minnesota’s Hunter Haight, Nashville’s Joey Willis and top 2025 prospect Michael Misa. Having Misa and leading scorer Zayne Parekh to pass to, in particular, has done wonders for Sapovaliv’s stat line, but it’s how he continuously finds ways to generate chances that stands out.

QMJHL

– An absolutely punishing specimen, newly acquired Drummondville Voltigeurs defenseman Vsevolod Komarov has raised quite a few eyebrows this year. Drafted 134th overall in 2022, Komarov started the year with a good showing at the Buffalo Sabres Prospect Challenge in September. He has continued his play with 19 points and 51 penalty minutes in 22 games, with an on-pace run over 50 points. We’ll see how he fits in with Drummondville, but he left the Quebec Ramparts with a three-point showing on Saturday before getting traded late Sunday night.

USHL

In a few weeks, Adam Gajan will lead Slovakia’s charge in their quest to one-up last year’s near-Cinderella WJC run. For now, he’s still got work to do with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, but the numbers are solid. He had just one regulation loss in eight starts in November and currently sits with a 13-4-1 record. Defensive zone support hasn’t always been great in front of him, but Gajan is one of the quickest goalies you’ll find at this level and always gives the Gamblers a chance to win. Many scouts wanted to see how he could do in extended runs after his meteoric rise last year, but the Chicago Blackhawks pick is looking like the real deal.

NCAA

It was notable last spring when the Carolina Hurricanes traded Massimo Rizzo‘s NHL rights to the Philadelphia Flyers, indicating that he and the Hurricanes wouldn’t agree on selecting him in the seventh round in 2019. Now 22, Rizzo leads the NCAA with 28 points in 16 games, largely based on his dominant playmaking ability. He has always produced at every level, but as a third-year college athlete at the University of Denver, he’ll likely finish his NCAA career with no fewer than 36 points in a full season. That’s remarkable, but we’ll still have to see how his game transitions over to the pro game.

– How about this to kick off an NCAA career? A freshman at Penn State, Aiden Fink has 22 points in 17 games already after leading the AJHL in scoring with 97 points a year ago. Many were shocked to see Fink fall to the Nashville Predators in the seventh round in 2023, given how he dominated Jr. A with an incredible hockey IQ, but his skating still appears to be a bit of a concern. Still, I’m banking on Fink being a steal when we’re all said and done.

AHL

– The Buffalo Sabres shipped out Erik Portillo‘s rights last year, electing to keep Devon Levi instead. Buffalo’s loss is the Los Angeles Kings’ gain, with Portillo putting up a 6-1-0 record with a shutout and a .929 save percentage in his first eight games with the Ontario Reign. He backed up his shutout on Nov. 19 with a 42-save effort against the San Jose Barracuda on Nov. 25, which may have been his most impressive start to date. Consecutive starts have been a rare occurrence for the 6-foot-6 goaltender while David Rittich is still getting the bulk of the work, but Portillo’s game has given the Reign a huge boost.

– After an impressive preseason with the Calgary Flames, expectations were high for forward Matt Coronato this year. But after he put up just two points in 10 NHL games, the Flames sent him down to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, where he has thrived with 18 points in 14 games. He had three points in two games this weekend, with four of his past five outings being two-point affairs. He’s looking confident, speedy and dangerous as a shooter and a passer. His time will come to earn a call-up back with the big club, but he needed this extra development after going straight to the NHL from college last year.

KHL

– After finding success with Kirill Kaprizov, will the Minnesota Wild strike gold with Danila Yurov? He has earned eight points in his past six games while playing an integral top-six role with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. If he sticks with his 50-point pace like he’s projected, and assuming Matvei Michkov doesn’t overtake him, Yurov would surpass Vladimir Tarasenko (47 points in 2011-12) as having the best offensive output by a U-21 scorer in a single KHL season. His KHL contract ends this spring, so we could see him playing a big role with the Wild as early as next October.

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