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.

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.

The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned Brunicke to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from the Kamloops Blazers.