CZE: Kuchejda a true sparkplug

Robert reviews several key Czech names for the 2005 NHL Entry draft, including David Kuchejda who promises to be one of the more noticeable Europeans for next year's event.

Jakub Vojta (2005), D

Offensive rearguard is a step down from Kindl in this draft class, but can join the rush and support the offense .. a crafty passer with a quick stick, natural offensive instincts and excellent anticipation .. a fluent skater with above-average straightaway speed and decent first-step quickness .. could get a bit quicker laterally .. willing to shoot the puck, but must keep it lower to the ice .. impresses with determination and leads by example .. we would like to see a more intense style from him this year .. has only an average frame and does not really outmuscle .. good poise, but is not mean; instead relying on his stick to throw an opposing rusher off his stride, which often does not work .. has mostly defense-first habits, which alludes to good coaching .. we see some odd positional breakdowns to his game; he needs better patience to stay with his man .. versatile and has played on the wing as well .. currently looks like a potential borderline first round candidate.

David Kuchejda (2005), RW

Smallish, but intense, lively and impossible to ignore .. excellent speed and agility are necessary ingredients for his sparkplug nature .. never gives up; fights for pucks with abandon and sticks his nose in tight corner battles .. his combative play tends to complement his linemates way by opening up space .. impresses with solid playmaking skills and excellent vision .. has a sharp mind and good first-step quickness on the puck, especially near the goal area .. must refine his shooting game a tad; has a quick release on the wrister, but lacks a bit of zip; not a very powerful slapper .. defensive awareness is lacking, but that is normal for his age .. sometimes chases the puck a bit too much and forgets defensive assignments .. made the jump to the junior Extraleague last year and did not look out of place.

Martin Hanzal (2005), LW

Has a great frame for his age, but has a lot of filling out to do .. a smooth puckhandling winger; creative with excellent hand-eye coordination .. good in-close finishing sills .. has a quick release on his wrist shot .. inaccurate slapper .. handles heavy traffic well; still needs to learn to throw his body around, but is strong on his skates and doesn't get intimidated .. shows good commitment to defensive duties; you always see him return to his zone and complement the backcheck effectively .. needs to develop smoother skating skills; simply lacks extra gear to explode on the puck .. has a good head for the game and looks like he'll be well-suited for the North American game as he gains confidence.

Vladimir Sobotka (2005), C

Small, but still growing .. plays like he's two inches taller and isn't afraid to give and receive hits .. releases the puck well under pressure, which means that he reacts well with many bodies around .. loves to drive to the net and dig for pucks in the corners .. very smooth on the puck with soft hands .. a regular on both the PP and the PK .. shows impressive poise when a scoring chance presents itelf; does not fall apart in clutch situations .. possesses a heavy slapshot he uses with regularity .. A tenacious forechecker .. nice vision, instinctive by nature, quick learner .. does not possess great acceleration.

Radek Smolenak (2005), C/LW

Well-built forward is a little too lean .. a slick, intelligent player with promising two-way qualities .. very good vision; knows how to create .. has a quick wrist shot with accuracy .. a contributor in the corners, but needs to show more spunk and meanness .. appears to be coachable; a willing backchecker .. a decent skater with good balance, but average agility .. needs to pounce on pucks quicker.