Czech Republic: About Smid

McKeen's correspondent Robert Neuhauser extensively monitored the top Czech players for the NHL draft in April and provides his final thoughts on the kids for the season. In the first of four installments (consisting of 20 reviews), Robert evaluates the likes of Marek Schwarz and Ladislav Smid.

Marek Schwarz (2004), G, HC Sparta Praha Sr

Decent-sized goalie, not small though a bit light .. covers the net surprisingly well and is very tough to beat down low .. resilient, very quick with a terrific glove hand .. likes to leave the crease to leave the shooter with little room to work with .. remarkable poise; very composed and mature for his age .. good confidence, although loses his focus at times, but gives up very few bad goals .. few drawbacks, one of which is average skating .. sub-par, undeveloped stickhandling .. aware of his struggles with the puck and has been working very vigorously to fix the problem, but isn’t comfortable leaving the net as of yet .. has a penchant to go down too early, which leaves the top of the net open for shooters.

Ladislav Smid (2004), D, HC Bili Tygri Liberec Sr

Good size, a surprisingly heavy frame, though not very filled out quite yet .. needs to bulk up; arms, lower body aren’t sufficiently strong yet .. smooth puckhandling is probably the bigest asset .. handles himself in traffic rather well .. makes accurate passes, but needs to trust himself more with long-range feeds .. has a good shot from the point; a very crisp wrister is a weapon on the PP, though we don’t see it enough .. positionally sound, but lacks defensive spunk .. not terribly physically adept; relies on vision and instincts to stay with his man .. has improved agility this year; good overall skater for his size .. not an elusive skater really .. must keep working on releasing his passes quicker, especially out of his own end .. tends to be turnover prone and has to learn to use the boards to clear the puck when a simple play is required.

Adam Lukacovic (2004), D, HC Sparta Praha Jr

Offensive-minded rearguard .. best trait is ability to join the rush and support the offense .. timing isn’t there quite yet; needs to when to go and when to stop .. sometimes impulsively joins the rush when he is best served to stay put .. deft passer .. above-average straightaway speed .. acceleration and first-step quickness have improved, but will have to get better .. impressive shot power from the point, but not tailor-made for tips due to it’s height .. brings natural leadership and heart into the mix .. firey competitor .. not a very big guy, but makes up for lack of size with tenacity and ability to play the body .. defensive coverage is lackluster at the point; tends to lose position due to lack of focus .. one-on-one play must improve.

Roman Polak (2004), D, HF Vitkovice Jr

Smooth, mobile skater .. love the leg strength and balance .. tough one to knock down; very sturdy and strong .. good acceleration and above-average agility .. solid frame; uses his size for physical means .. competitive along the boards and effective at clearing opponents out of the crease .. times hits effectively and hits hard .. sound positionally .. adept at both the PP and PK .. passes the puck crispy, although prone to impulsive decisions at certain junctures .. vision a little lacking; focus at times not there when the puck is on his stick.

Lubomir Stach (2004), D, HC Vsetin Jr

Tangy shrimp .. smallish rearguard is a good skater laterally with a sharp pivot step .. changes direction flawlessly .. strongest asset is the smoothness of his stickhandling .. loves to test opponents’ agility with dekes and fakes .. on the downside, he tends to overhandle the puck, which gets him into trouble .. solid passer, sees the ice well, smart and instinctive .. shooting lacks zing; doesn’t get shots through traffic well enough .. not a tough player, which is a problem considering his size .. impressive positionally, which makes him effective at his level, but won’t be enough to draw considerable interest across the Atlantic .. well-suited for a career in Europe.