A Penguins 20-Year-Old Defenseman Is Trending Upwards in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs
After a 4-3 victory over Toronto on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are tied with Toronto at 2-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. A key reason for that success is defenseman Harrison Brunicke. The 20-year-old South African was taken in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and made his debut with Pittsburgh this past season. While he struggled at the NHL level, regularly being listed as a healthy scratch or being sent back down, he has excelled at the AHL and WHL levels. He only played 11 games in the regular season for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but his playoff performance is what’s been turning heads. Brunicke is a true two-way defenseman. He’s fast, can turn the ice in an instant, and has repeatedly been noted as reliable and highly versatile. Avery Hayes, a forward for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, said, “No one in the league can skate the way he can. No one in the league can do the things from the blue line that he can do.” That’s always good to hear, especially about a defenseman who has helped bring this Penguins team just four wins away from hoisting a Calder Cup.
In October, when the young defenseman made his NHL debut in Pittsburgh’s first game of the 25-26 season, he clearly wasn’t ready for the speed and ferocity of the NHL. Now, however, he seems to be trending in the right direction to be brought up to the Steel City again in 26-27. Kirk MacDonald, head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, has seen this change and believes that the kid from South Africa is a completely different player. MacDonald said, “Since I saw him in Buffalo at the 2024 prospect tournament until now, he’s been doing a great job. The physical tools have always been there, but now he’s recognizing when to jump into the play and when not to. He’s realizing he doesn't have to do everything for everyone on the ice, you can see it.” The minute-munching blue-line anchor stands six-foot-three and weighs 210 pounds, and the Penguins believed that he’d be NHL ready from the start simply based on his size. He can “skate like the wind” according to Josh Yohe from The Athletic, and he brings a strong sense of competitiveness and nastiness to his physical gameplay that can sometimes cost him. Yohe comments on this, saying, “Brunicke’s well-known competitive streak sometimes gets him in trouble. When his team isn't generating offense, he has a tendency to jump into the play and try to do everything on his own. When his team is losing a physical battle, he has a tendency to throw his body around when it might not be prudent.” Everyone loves an aggressive, competitive guy on their team, but not if it costs them. It seems as if the mobile six-foot-three rearguard has finally figured out how to balance his skill and his competitive spirit.
The 20-year-old continues to trend upward in his skating, shooting, and defensive zone abilities. He will be a fantastic NHL player one day, but right now he has a more important mission. Brunicke stated, “I’m just focusing on trying to win the Calder Cup right now, and someday, I hope all of us get to play in Pittsburgh together. Those are the goals.” MacDonald said, “Everyone talks about his skating ability and how he can move pucks, but did you see how many shots he blocked in game four? That, to me, is what separates him. The way he competes in the D-zone. He makes great plays offensively for us at this level. He’s great on the penalty kill. He’s great down low.” MacDonald has only good things to say about the rising star, and his teammates agree with every statement made. He’s a great offensive player, and his AHL or NHL numbers will reflect that, but he truly excels on defense. A big-bodied, fast defenseman is exactly what the Penguins need in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins' modern two-way NHL prospect will be the perfect guy to fill that hole in 26-27
