Pittsburgh Penguins select Harrison Brunicke No. 44 overall in 2024 NHL Draft

On Saturday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the xxx took defenseman Harrison Brunicke in the second round, No. 44 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. 

Brunicke, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, is a rare and highly sought-after right-handed defenseman. The 18-year-old has shown excellent progression in his development while playing for the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League. 

In 2023-24, Brunicke recorded a career-high 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 49 games. He has 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) over two full seasons with the Blazers. While his offense has never been his main asset, he is believed to have more ability in the offensive end than his numbers show.

Playing for Team Canada at the IIHF U18 World Junior Championships, Brunicke really impressed. He tallied four points (one goal, three assists) in seven games and was very strong on the defensive end, finishing with a plus-11 rating in the tournament. 

Defensively, the 6-foot-3 blueliner has the ability to check hard, control play around his own net and end cycles with stick checks or hits. He can also shut down opponents off the rush, matching their speed very well. Once he has the puck, he makes smart decisions and has plenty of skill to make crisp breakout passes to teammates. 

Brunicke ranks 44th on Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis’ final prospect rankings. 

“I do know there’s a ton of interest from teams looking for a big, right-handed defenseman who can play a bunch of different roles,” Ellis wrote in his final prospect rankings list. “He’s quite smart with the puck, and I feel like his offensive abilities are better than his numbers suggest. With a 6-foot-3 frame, projectable traits and some budding offensive potential, there’s a lot to like here – and a decent showing at the U-18s doesn’t hurt.”