Brayden Schuurman
2021-22 Team: Victoria Royals (WHL)
Date of Birth: Feb. 2, 2004
Place of Birth: Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Ht: 5-foot-9 Wt: 188 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: R
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2022 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 76th (amongst NA skaters)
Brayden Schuurman is a creative forward who can play either center or the wing. In his second full season in the Western Hockey League (WHL), the former 69th-overall pick from the 2019 Bantam Draft scored 54 points in 68 games. He finished second on the Victoria Royals in points and goals with 29 while finishing fourth in assists with 25.
Where Schuurman really excelled this season was on the power play. He tallied 11 power-play goals along with 13 assists for 24 of his 54 total points this season. Overall, the Royals finished the season 12th in the league on the power play and fourth on the road due to his production on the man advantage.
One other asset Schuurman holds is his ability to get the puck on the net. In his 68 games, he finished with 207 shots on goal. That is an average of 3.044 per game. He has a strong wrist shot that often handcuffs goaltenders into giving up rebounds. Although he has never shied away from getting the puck on net in the past, this season, it looked as though he became more confident with his shot compared to last season.
After his season in Victoria was complete, Schuurman was invited to the U-18s for Canada. He started off on the wing but was moved back to center after the first game. During the tournament, he scored twice, including a goal in the quarterfinals, while recording six shots in the four games. He also finished with a plus/minus rating of plus-2 in the tournament.
Related: THW 2022 NHL Draft Guide
Besides his size, the one issue Schuurman has is faceoffs. If he wants to be a center at the next level, he needs to improve his winning percentage. During the season, he finished with a win percentage of 48.2. Then at the U-18s, he was 14 of 29 for 48.28 percent. He needs to find a way to bump that percentage up above 50 percent to be really effective if he wants to stay at center.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Brayden Schuurman- NHL Draft Projection
It is hard to pinpoint exactly where Schurrman will fall. He had a decent season but his size may scare some general managers away from him. Based on his ranking, he is projected to be picked in either the late sixth or early seventh round, somewhere between 185th and 200th overall. Other players who have been picked in this area include Colin Blackwell (194th in 2011) and Pierre Engvall (188th in 2014).
Quotables
“Schuurman is a center who plays a quiet game that has few mistakes but also doesn’t wow you with any plays. He most impressed me with his speed and ability to find open ice in the high slot area when his team is on the offense. He is constantly getting separation from defenders by finding soft spots, which allow his teammates to get him the puck which usually leads to shots on goal.” – Mitch Savard, FC Hockey
“Schuurman deserves a lot of credit for how mature, responsible and effective he has been this season on a disastrous Victoria team. The team is short on talent, has undergone enormous roster turnover and played a huge chunk of their games with a shortage of players, but he’s been a rock for them the entire time, playing on their top line and chipping in offence.” – Derek Neumeier, FC Hockey
Strengths
- Speed
- Wrist Shot
- Hockey IQ
- Puck Control
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Size
- Faceoff ability
- Defensive positioning
NHL Potential
There is definitely a chance Shuurman makes the NHL one day but he needs to improve his overall game first. While his offensive game is strong, his defensive game needs some work. His size should not be an issue, but he needs to ensure he is strong on his feet and will not get knocked over easily. Yes, he is a project piece for an organization, but based on his skill, he could play in the NHL one day.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 1/5, Reward – 3/5
Awards/Achievements
- Victoria Royals 2020-21 Rookie of the Year
- WHL Player of the Week– October 12, 2021