The Vancouver Canucks reeled in a big fish by acquiring Elias Lindholm. However, did the Canucks trade the next Adam Fox in the process?
The Canucks forked over a large package to the Calgary Flames for Lindholm. In exchange for the top-six center, the Canucks traded Andrei Kuzmenko, a pair of prospect defensemen in Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, and a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.
The player in question is prospect defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz.
On the latest episode of The Jeff Marek Show, host Marek had some high praise of Brzustewicz.
"(Brzustewicz) has been refered to as the Adam Fox in the OHL," Marek explained to Elliotte Friedman. "I'm just reporting what has been told to me. This is how he's referred to by many. The Adam Fox of the Ontario League."
Adam Fox is quite the comparison. The New York Rangers defenseman is a former Norris Trophy winner and is consistently in the conversation to win it again year in and year out. Yet, even Friedman recognized Brzustewicz's talent.
"He's definitely a talented kid," Friedman retorted. "A lot of people have described him as the X-Factor to this deal. He was drafted just this past year. So, Calgary has two years to decide on him. I don't think Calgary spoke to the kid in advance... They know of all the players they gave up in this deal, this is the one that has the biggest upside for Calgary."
In 49 OHL games this season, Brzustewicz has collected eight goals and 61 assists for 69 points. He's already shattered last season's career-high 57 points with 21 games left to play this year. That's quite impressive.
Brzustewicz is on pace to finish 2023-24 with 11 goals and 98 points as a defenseman. His EliteProspects profile reads, "Hunter Brzustewicz has great puck-moving habits and deception in his game, which enables to be a force in transition. Brzustewicz can constantly make forecheckers miss with fake changes of direction, timely spins, and by moving the puck before they can get to it. He attacks space to fire on net and manipulates defenders to get shots through and opens passing lanes to the slot."
Perhaps the fact that Brzustewicz playing for the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL is foreshadowing what he can become in the future. It begs the question, did the Canucks trade for Lindholm, in fact, fork over the next Adam Fox to the Calgary Flames in Hunter Brzustewicz?