PuckSleuth
48Not on an NHL roster · Defense · Shoots R
Hunter Brzustewicz
Age 21 · 6'0" · 190 lb · Born in Washington, USA
Cap hit
$950K
0.9% of $104M cap
Term
1 yr
Through 2026-27, then RFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
—
needs 40 recent games
Contract details from our records; public announcement not yet matched
2025-26 regular season
GP
34
Goals
2
6.1% shooting
Assists
5
0 primary
Points
7
0.21 per game
TOI/GP
16:08
PP 1:00 · PK 0:11
xGF%
47.9
5v5, -28 vs. last yr
Game Score
+0.24
per game
Faceoff %
—
Plus/minus
0
Blocks 23 · Hits 24
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16 vs LAK · W 3-1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19:53 | 2:01 | 0:09 | — | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.21 |
| Apr 14 vs COL · L 3-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22:34 | 1:30 | 1:15 | — | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.02 |
| Apr 12 vs UTA · W 4-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 20:07 | 2:54 | 1:33 | — | 100 | 2 | 1 | +1 | +0.52 |
| Apr 11 @ SEA · L 4-1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 17:05 | 0:33 | 0:47 | — | 50 | 0 | 0 | -1 | +1.23 |
| Apr 9 @ COL · L 3-1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 19:27 | 0:50 | 0:00 | — | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.15 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 498 min · percentile vs. NHL defensemen
38th percentile
96th percentile
46th percentile
49th percentile
83rd percentile
32nd percentile
67th percentile
29th percentile
66th percentile
19th percentile
67th percentile
25th percentile
68th percentile
56th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleShutdown defenseman
Trait percentiles vs. NHL defensemen · 2025-26
Brzustewicz is a stay-at-home defender whose elite positioning and gap control create a fortress on the back end. He rarely generates offense and lacks the speed and aggression to lead transitions, limiting his overall impact despite his strong defensive instincts.
- Shooting volume
- 39
- Playmaking
- 0
- Zone entries(est.)
- 48
- Forechecking
- 23
- Physicality
- 21
- Defensive impact
- 98
- Puck management
- 49
- Speed
- 16
Where he shoots from
Slot 0% · Mid-range 28% · Perimeter 72%(47 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Defensive impact in the 98th percentile shows exceptional positioning and gap control
- Even strength defense holds opponents to 47.9% expected goals, well below average
- Stays disciplined and poised under pressure with minimal penalty risk
Watch-outs
- Speed ranks in the 16th percentile, limiting his range and transition effectiveness
- Playmaking in the bottom tier means he rarely initiates offensive chances
- Forechecking at 23rd percentile indicates limited ability to pressure the puck in deeper areas
Similar style: Marcus Pettersson (NYR), Nick DeSimone (UTA)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 34 GP
Season total +8.3, or +0.24 per game.
- Scoring
- +4.5
- Shooting
- +2.5
- 5-on-5 goals
- +0.3
- Defense
- +0.2
- Penalty kill
- +0.1
- Physical play
- +1.6
- Puck battles
- -1.1
- Penalties
- +0.2
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | Brick Invitational | Detroit Red Wings | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | — | 0 |
| 2013-14 (playoffs) | Brick Invitational | Detroit Red Wings | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2015-16 | WSI U12 | Draftday Hockey Selects U12 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | 8 |
| 2016-17 | QC Int PW | Detroit Honeybaked | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| 2017-18 | HPHL 13U | Honeybaked 13U AAA | 17 | 0 | 6 | 6 | — | 0 |
| 2017-18 | WSI U14 | Draftday Hockey Selects U14 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 2018-19 | HPHL 14U | Honeybaked 14U AAA | 20 | 8 | 27 | 35 | — | 8 |
| 2018-19 | WSI U15 | Draftday Selects U15 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | 0 |
| 2019-20 | USA-S15 | Team Navy | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | — | 4 |
| 2019-20 | HPHL 15U | Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U AAA | 10 | 3 | 6 | 9 | — | 2 |
| 2019-20 | 15U AAA | Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U AAA | 66 | 15 | 96 | 111 | +85 | — |
| 2019-20 | YOG | USA U16 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020-21 | NTDP | U.S. National U17 Team | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 0 |
| 2021-22 | USA-S17 | Team White | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 |
| 2021-22 | Hlinka Gretzky Cup | USA U18 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +2 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | NTDP | U.S. National U18 Team | 55 | 2 | 18 | 20 | +25 | 10 |
| 2021-22 | USHL | USNTDP Juniors | 25 | 0 | 9 | 9 | +5 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | WJC-18 | USA U18 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +5 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | OHL | Kitchener Rangers | 68 | 6 | 51 | 57 | +8 | 12 |
| 2022-23 (playoffs) | OHL | Kitchener Rangers | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | -5 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | OHL | Kitchener Rangers | 67 | 13 | 79 | 92 | +31 | 24 |
| 2023-24 (playoffs) | OHL | Kitchener Rangers | 10 | 1 | 8 | 9 | -2 | 12 |
| 2024-25 | NHL | Calgary Flames | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | AHL | Calgary Wranglers | 70 | 5 | 27 | 32 | -9 | 14 |
| 2024-25 (playoffs) | AHL | Calgary Wranglers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | NHL | Calgary Flames | 34 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 2025-26 | AHL | Calgary Wranglers | 34 | 4 | 9 | 13 | -5 | 8 |
| 2026-27 | AHL | Calgary Wranglers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Every league he has played in, from the NHL's records, regular season and playoffs.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- What Does the Future Hold for Hunter Brzustewicz With the Calgary Flames?
flameforthought.com · Sep 18
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.39 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2025-26, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 20.7 mph
- 19th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 7
- Hardest shot
- 83.9 mph
- 19th pct
- Distance
- 79.6 mi
- OZ time
- 43.5%
- 78th pct
- DZ time
- 37.7%
Age curve
NHL defensemen · production index
At 21, defensemen typically produce 97% of their peak (age 24).
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
1 season left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | CGY | $950K | 0.9% |
RFA after 2026-27. $950K in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).