Czech: Roth Heads Impressive U16’s

Exclusive scouting reports on the top Czech prospects competing at a recent under-16 tournament, featuring the talented quartet of Bohumil Herman, Marek Benda, Stepan Novotny and Vladimir Roth.

Marek Benda (2007), G, 5-10/160

A mid-sized goalie with solid reflexes and quickness .. plays more of a butterfly style .. good athleticism and dexterity .. moves well in the crease thanks to decent skating ability .. adequate flexibility and footspeed .. gets back up quickly .. strong anticipation of plays .. displays above-average poise and composure .. calm when making saves .. tough to beat on the initial shot and handles most of the rebounds well .. leaves the upper shelf uncovered sometimes, enticing forwards to shoot there .. possesses an adequate glove hand and is an average stickhandler .. the most talented Czech 1989-born goaltender by a fair margin and easily the top goaltender during this series .. proved that he is definitely a name to remember for the 2007 draft.

Vladimir Roth (2008), D, 5-11/160

A solid skater with above-average straightaway speed and good agility .. could use better first-step quickness .. good lateral movement, doesn't get beaten on turns .. an offensive-minded defenseman who often joins the rush and supports the offense .. a solid puckhandler who wants the puck on his stick .. very smart and creative .. good vision and hockey sense .. an excellent powerplay quarterback .. willing to let his slapshot go, but has to learn to keep it lower .. doesn't play afraid, though he should use his body to a bigger extent and hit more often .. adequate defensive play .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. uses his mobility to be effective in the defensive end .. right-shooting defenseman is a 1990-born underager .. the best Czech defenseman played a complete game and will be a top prospect in 2008 if he sustains his development.

Tomas Schmidt (2007), D, 5-10/180

A solid skater with decent acceleration and lateral movement .. quick turns and adequate speed both straightaway and backwards .. solid balance .. boasts a decent offensive flair .. adequate puckhandling skills, though his hands don't rank among his strongest assets .. supports the offense with decent outlet skills, even though his longer passes lack the same accuracy .. adequate timing of his passes .. a good asset on the powerplay as he possesses an accurate shot from the point .. also solid in defensive zone coverage .. marks his man quickly and doesn't suffer from odd positional breakdowns .. needs to work harder down low and clear the crease with greater determination .. a solid hitter who is an adequate presence along the boards .. a bit overshadowed by Vladimir Roth, but still pulled off a solid showing as a defensive anchor.

Stepan Novotny (2009), C, 6-0/165

A solid skater with adequate agility and first-step quickness .. decent speed, but still could use a better extra gear .. strong stickhandling skills .. covers the puck well and handles it with precision .. a force in one-on-one situations and in tight spaces .. gets involved in the games, willing to execute in traffic .. an imaginative passer and an good complement alongside a scoring winger .. decent vision and hockey sense .. plays well in the corner on powerplays .. adequate intensity in the defensive zone, although he could be quicker and tighter on man-on-man marking .. tends to run out of steam during late stages of games .. an average hitter, yet doesn't play soft .. a right-shooting forward and late 1990-born underager .. the youngest Czech player turned out to be the best playmaker and a key performer, definitely a name we will be hearing about over the coming years.

Bohumil Herman (2007), RW, 5-9/160

A solid skater with good footspeed and acceleration .. capable of making sharp turns, however, he would benefit from developing better balance in his play as he is still light on his feet .. good top-end speed .. a tricky puckhandler with above-average offensive instincts .. likes to have the puck on his stick and to deke the opposition .. able to succeed in one-on-one situations .. boasts a quick wristshot with a fast release .. solid slapshot that remains hidden a bit .. a good asset to the powerplay .. doesn't initiate physical contact and can get knocked off the puck by stronger opponents .. sub-par defensive awareness .. tends to focus primarily on the offensive part of his game, with his intensity dropping in the defensive zone .. despite the one-dimensional game, he was the most pleasant surprise from the Czech side and turned heads with his electrifying play in the offensive zone.

Tomas Hajek (2007), LW, 6-0/180

An average skater with good balance and lower-body strength .. needs to upgrade on his first-step quickness and acceleration .. average top-end speed .. possesses decent agility for a big man and is a tenacious and gritty two-way forward .. plays with an edge and is a good hitter along the boards .. average puckhandling skills, can't make many nifty moves .. doesn't impress with his vision .. decent passer, though he overlooks the odd passing lane .. good defensive awareness .. shuts down passing lanes precisely and stays with his man .. effective on the backcheck .. a versatile player who can play both center and left wing .. boasts a decent wristshot, which could use a faster release .. also has a heavy slapshot with solid accuracy .. showed that he lacks finesse skills, but is willing to stand up for his teammates and makes an effective grinder.