Harrison Brunicke

April 2026 – It did not take long for fantasy managers to realize they let Brunicke fly under the radar for too long. There were mixed opinions about his NHL upside but leave it to Kyle Dubas to identify great draft choices without premium draft capital. Although Brunicke was sent back to the WHL after his nine game audition with the Penguins – that was mostly because the Penguins turned out to be a competitive team in 2025-26 and it was better to let Brunicke simmer in the WHL for another season as he still needs to get stronger. He was however sent to the AHL on a conditioning stint where he registered four assists over five games – showing he is not too far away from becoming an offensive option from the back end for Pittsburgh. Look for Brunicke to be in the top four and at least second power play duties for the Penguins within two years when Letang retires. Ioan Gheordanescu

August 2025 – Brunicke continued his steady march towards the NHL with a five goal, 25 assist effort for 30 points in 41 WHL games in 2024-2025. He then had a chance to suit up for 10 AHL games with Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, where he managed two assists and added 18 penalty minutes.

The hallmarks of Brunicke’s game are his ability to do pretty much everything well. He moves well on the ice, shuts down attackers in his defensive zone, and has the ability to set up the rush and jump into the offense. With the Pittsburgh Penguins in retool mode with plenty of room for players to win a spot, Brunicke has the best proximity and multi-tool potential to solidify himself a spot on the blueline. His defensive capability should be enough of a floor to get him a look and keep him in the lineup most nights, but his budding offensive game has the potential to move him up the line up. Though he doesn’t have the offensive flash that some recent boom/bust defenders like Calen Addison and Ty Smith had when they were in the same spot, his defensive abilities outstrip that of Smith and Addison and should hopefully prevent Brunicke from burning hot and flaming out like the other two ultimately did.

Brunicke is still flying under the radar in most fantasy circles, but that won’t last long. He is worth a door knock in leagues that reward hits and blocks. Brunicke could soon have similar fantasy appeal to a K’Andre Miller type, but use pencil on that estimate, as there’s still plenty of development to be done. Alex Wyatt

March 2025 – The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned Brunicke to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from the Kamloops Blazers. Mark Henry

June 2024 – Brunicke was selected in the second round, 44th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2024 NHL Draft. Hadi Kalakeche

April 2024 – Harrison Brunicke is a heady, smooth-skating, 6-3 RHD with qualities in every area of his game. In the offensive zone, Brunicke scans well, makes quick decisions, and is willing to get off the boards and evade pressure through creativity and confident puck handling. While Brunicke has the skill and inclination to activate as the weakside defenseman, Brunicke’s transition abilities are more frequently demonstrated through his zone exits. Brunicke is poised in his end and makes a lot of smart reads to use his mobility and passing to create clean breakouts. This mobility and awareness also show up in his defensive game. Brunicke quickly closes gaps off the rush and, thanks to strong body positioning, physicality, and stickwork, frequently separates players from the puck, both off the rush and off the cycle. Brunicke’s offensive game could blossom with better help around him (his Kamloops Blazers were the worst team in the WHL, without a point-per-game or 20-goal scorer). However, even if it doesn’t, he still projects as a well-rounded, utility defender who makes his teammates better on both sides of the puck. Luke Sweeney

April Rankings: 31st

February 2024 – One look at Brunicke’s stat line — only 19 points in 43 games — will have you wondering why he is our 39th-ranked prospect in the draft cycle. Very rarely does a CHL defender worth a top-40 pick not even cross the 0.5-point-per-game threshold in their draft year.  However, Brunicke’s lack of points hides a particularly alluring set of tools and an even more impressive foundation of habits and decisions.

The size-mobility combo with Brunicke is already a big plus — at 6 foot 3 and willing to engage physically, and with the edgework and lateral agility he displays, Brunicke covers a lot of ice both offensively and defensively. He closes gaps early, is especially proficient in boxing players out of the slot, and matches footwork in transition to maintain a steady distance between him and the puck carrier. Solid decision-making, aided by constant scanning and set-up fakes, makes him reliable on retrievals and pass receptions. On top of that, Brunicke shows flashes of greatness on the puck and already has the confidence to keep trying things. Suppose he continues to try and take opponents by surprise with inside-out dekes and high slot drives while adding some more offensive-zone activation to his game. In that case, we could look at a true do-it-all, two-way blue-liner whose analytical impact consistently outranks his peers. Hadi Kalakeche

February rankings: 39th