The Case for Henry Brzustewicz

With the second pick, the San Jose Sharks will likely take either Michael Misa or Matthew Schaefer. With the pick they received from the Dallas Stars in the Mikael Granlund trade, they should have plenty of options to add a talented player to the prospect pool.

Henry Brzustewicz

Defenseman
6'2" 203 pounds
Birthday: February 2007 (18)
Right-handed

If you want to take a swing, Henry Brzustewicz is your guy. Brzustewicz has many raw tools to fall in love with. He has a good frame at 6'2", is an excellent skater, and has played a lot of meaningful hockey in his time with London.

He spent much of the season as Sam Dickinson's blueline partner. While Dickinson undoubtedly commanded a lot of attention and shine, Brzustewicz quietly filled his role with the Knights and continued gaining the coaching staff's trust.

What you are banking on with Brzustewicz is untapped upside. London will be going through a transition period next season as top players like Oliver Bonk, Easton Cowan, and Denver Barkey are set to graduate to the AHL, and Dickinson potentially getting an extended look in the NHL, Brzustewicz has a chance to take a monster leap next year in terms of production.

What makes Brzustewicz such an intriguing prospect is the mystery box element. He has shown flashes of his playmaking and offensive skill set, but has not had a chance to drive play. He should get the opportunity next season. If he succeeds, there could be a massive uptick in his potential. Suppose Brzustewicz struggles or can't fill the role. In that case, he has a baseline of being a good complementary partner to a more dynamic player and has shown enough in the defensive zone to be a solid defender.

Henry Bruzustewicz is worth investing in at the end of the first or early second round as the Sharks look to add more depth to the blueline. The upside is tantalizing for a team that needs a high upside defenseman in the pipeline; it's a worthy gamble in this year's draft.