EUROPE [Apr-06]: Slovakias U16

U16 notes-Slovakia (posted 4.28.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Top performers

Marek Ciliak (2008), G

a smallish goaltender .. plays a butterfly style .. relies on his quickness and athleticism to make up for his lack of size .. a quick goalie with okay reflexes .. a decent skater who moves adequately fast in the crease .. still should upgrade on his adequate lateral movement .. fast to recover after dropping to a butterfly .. possesses okay footspeed .. doesn't let in many goals down low .. solid resilience and athleticism .. tends to flop around and play a wild game at times .. should further upgrade on his fundamentals and be more patient against the shooters .. decent on the blocker side .. an adequate glove hand .. goes down sometimes too early .. prone to allowing soft goals on shots aiming at the upper shelf .. okay orientation in the crease but should upgrade on his dealing with rebounds .. confident when going behind the net to play the puck .. decent stickhandling skills .. can be risky when moving the puck .. needs to learn how to handle the puck safer .. should upgrade on consistency to be more effective .. possesses decent mental toughness.

Martin Stajnoch (2008), D

an above-average skater with an okay stride .. decent bursts of speed .. okay agility and lateral movement .. possesses decent first-step quickness .. adequate lower-body strength and balance .. could upgrade on his top-end speed .. shows okay smarts and a fearless approach .. decent stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. can maintain possession of the puck in traffic .. handles difficult passes adequately well and makes passes from both sides of the stick .. shows solid offensive flair .. possesses a decent portion of offensive vision and awareness of his linemates .. a composed player who doesn't panic under pressure .. reads the plays quickly .. capable of delivering crisp passes .. adequate powerplay quarterback .. decent creativity .. fires an okay hard snap shot with solid accuracy .. decent slap shot .. not afraid to play physical along the boards and on open-ice .. battles for the loose pucks and subsequently starts the counterattack with a quick pass .. willing to sacrifice his body to block the opposing shots .. adequate pinching .. doesn't make glaring positional mistakes .. spots his man adequately fast .. a right-shooting defenseman.

David Puna (2008), LW

a solid skater .. okay first-step quickness .. possesses a solid acceleration .. okay agility on his skates .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. doesn't get knocked off his skates too often thanks to a low center of gravity .. okay top-end speed .. tough to keep under control with his explosiveness .. a decent puckhandler .. can maneuver with the puck in tight space without loosing possession but doesn't use this asset very often .. once in the offensive zone he can score and pass equally well .. aware of his linemates .. decent passing skills and creativity .. can make a surprising pass .. returns back to his own zone for the pucks and starts the offensive raids .. an okay player in one-on-one situations .. possesses a fast release on his wrist and snap shot .. should fire the slap shot more often .. positions himself into scoring positions well .. drives the net adequately hard .. an aggressive forechecker .. a decent asset in the opposing slot with his belligerence .. looks for the loose rebounds .. a decent hitter along the boards .. shows a regular mean streak .. returns to help out the defense but doesn't stand out in this asset .. could upgrade on his defensive positioning .. spots his man adequately fast .. a right-shooting forward.

Boris Jankovsky (2008), C

an okay skater .. possesses a decent change of pace .. shows a solid agility on his skates .. blessed with okay acceleration .. decent top-end speed .. should add more bulk to his lower-body .. a smooth puckhandler with soft hands .. likes to penetrate into the offensive zone with the puck on his stick and subsequently create plays .. solid at gaining offensive zone possession for his team .. doesn't loose puck-possession in tight spaces .. can play a sneaky game in traffic .. blessed with decent smarts and offensive instincts .. capable of tape-on-tape passes .. more of a playmaker than sniper .. aware of his linemates .. finds the open man quickly .. unleashes an accurate wrist shot with a fast release .. accurate snap shot could be harder .. doesn't use his slap shot very often .. could use smoother in-close finishing skills .. is willing to return to his own end to help out the defense and shows a decent defensive awareness .. okay quickness of marking his man .. could improve on defensive positioning .. doesn't play afraid and performs in the corners .. capable of dishing out a hard hit .. should upgrade on his faceoff ability .. shoots right.

Martin Uhnak (2008), RW

a diminutive waterbug .. an above-average skater with solid footspeed and acceleration .. possesses a fluid stride .. sharp agility and turns .. average balance and lower-body strength .. shows a consistent hustle .. can burn the opposing defensemen with his quickness .. solid stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. can dangle the puck in traffic .. able to succeed in one-on-one situations thanks to his quick moves .. solid east-west moves on the powerplay .. a decent passer who can find the open man .. hides his intentions well .. shows decent hockey sense .. displays okay in-close finishing skills .. possesses a solid variety of shots including an accurate snap shot .. solid quick wrist shot .. fires a hard slap shot .. sticks his nose into traffic and plays bigger than his size .. willing to hit the bigger opponents .. a tenacious forechecker .. can carry the puck without having to slow down significantly .. backchecks diligently but still needs to pick up his defensive game .. should stay with his player all the way .. still raw in closing the passing lanes of the opponent .. needs to improve on his conditioning not to fade in the late stages of the games.

Others

Marian Valko (2008), D

possesses average skating skills .. could use a better acceleration and first-step quickness .. adequate top-end speed .. should further improve on his agility .. decent lateral movement .. above-average balance and lower-body strength .. should upgrade on top-end speed .. tries to jump into the plays to support the offense occasionally but should have a better offensive vision to avoid occasional opposing turnovers .. is at his best when playing a simple game .. adequate stickhandling skills .. handles the puck adequately well but should corral difficult passes more effortlessly .. shows difficulties when handling backhand passes .. overlooks odd long passing lanes, but is an okay passer when distributing the pucks on a short distance .. looks for the obvious passing lane .. would benefit from a better vision and hockey sense .. doesn't fire booming slap shots and should learn how to get them through more often .. can be a decent force in the corner battles and in front of the crease when physically involved .. lacks a regular mean streak .. positional play is an issue as he tends to occasionally play fuzzy in his own end.

Marek Richter (2008), D

a decent skater .. shows acceptable acceleration .. decent first-step quickness .. possesses an adequate agility .. decent lateral movement .. should improve on top-end speed .. doesn't get knocked off his skates very often thanks to a decent balance .. doesn't show significant offensive upside and is more effective when playing a defensive style of play .. works hard down low but is prone to occasional fuzzy decisions .. should upgrade on his positional reliability .. possesses okay strength but still should bulk up .. decent crease-clearer .. willing to hit the opponents .. doesn't possess offensive vision to contribute on the attack effectively .. decent stickhandling ability .. corrals passes adequately well .. an accurate passer when passing the puck on a short distance but his passing accuracy of longer passes is only average .. needs to take extra time to read the plays when distributing the puck which limits his effectiveness .. average hockey sense .. often used as a powerplay pointman .. fires a solid hard shot from the point, but needs to learn how to get it through and avoid hitting the opposing player with his shot.

Michal Pichnarcik (2009), D

a hulking lanky defenseman .. an adequate skater for such a big body but picking up on his skating is still essential .. adequate lateral movement and agility .. slow first-step quickness .. possesses an adequate stride .. average acceleration and top-end speed .. needs to add more bulk to his thin lower-body .. needs to slow down once gaining possession of the puck .. needs to stay back in his own end not to be outskated on the transitional play .. leaves significant space between him and the opposing players .. average positional play .. prone to the odd mistake when not reading the plays properly .. an adequate factor in one-on-one situations .. doesn't stand out with his puckhandling skills and should cover the puck more effectively .. a decent pincher .. doesn't play afraid but should use his giant frame more to his advantage and punish the opposing players with a bigger meanness .. doesn't take off-shifts and plays a diligent game .. possesses a good reach and massive wingspan .. limited passing skills .. plays a risky-low game, but doesn't support the offense a lot, dishing off the puck rather than looking for a passing lane instead .. should fire his adequately accurate shot from the point more often and improve on hardness .. will need patience in his development .. a late '90 born defenseman.

Erik Bednar (2008), D

possesses decent skating skills .. could use better acceleration, first-step quickness and an upgrade on his top-end speed .. decent agility .. shows an okay lateral movement .. possesses acceptable balance .. adequate backwards skater .. should be more confident in his backwards skating abilities to handle the opponents more effectively .. possesses an okay offensive flair .. rushes the puck often and gains possession of the offensive zone for his team .. should have a better offensive vision to emerge as a good powerplay quarterback .. could read the offensive plays more quickly .. prone to dumping the puck when facing a heavy pressure .. decent stickhandling skills .. shows difficulties when handling backhand passes .. overlooks odd long passing lanes, but is an okay passer when distributing the pucks on a short distance .. doesn't fire booming slap shots, but unleashes a quick accurate snap shot which he can get through .. is prone to some dumb penalties when he refuses to keep his feet moving .. a decent force in the corner battles and in front of the crease when physically involved .. can make a solid hit, but needs a regular mean streak.

Michal Kivader (2008), C

a decent skater for a player of his size .. uses a long stride .. possesses adequate acceleration and first-step quickness .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. okay agility .. decent top-end speed .. could use more explosiveness .. should upgrade on his balance and lower-body strength .. more of a playmaking forward who prefers passing to shooting .. a decent vision and hockey sense .. inconsistent in his creativity .. okay at gaining offensive zone for his team .. solid puckhandling skills .. can make passes from both sides of the stick .. corrals difficult passes adequately well .. tends to looking for a passing lane instead of firing the puck .. would be more effective if he would show bigger sniper instincts .. okay wrist shot .. should use his slap shot to a bigger extent .. should improve on his in-close finishing skills .. an above-average defensive awareness .. conscientious in returning back .. a solid asset to the penalty killing units .. stays with his man .. willing to muck for the loose pucks in the corners .. battles in traffic but needs to get stronger to be more effective .. drives the net adequately hard .. an average factor in the faceoff circle.

Tomas Sykora (2008), LW

an okay skater with a fluid stride .. decent acceleration and top-end speed .. possesses okay agility .. capable of sharp turns .. possesses decent footspeed .. adequate balance could still be improved .. won't jump at you with the smoothness of his puckhandling skills, but does his moves adequately effectively .. should be more smooth in one-on-one situations .. decent passing skills, but overlooks the odd passing lane .. likes to have the puck on his stick .. can score and pass equally well .. possesses decent vision .. solid variety of shots .. slap shot with an adequately fast release should be more harder .. his accurate snap shot could be upgraded on hardness .. needs to pick up on his defensive awareness .. is raw in his defensive ability and not willing to return back on a regular basis .. waits for the breakaway chances .. often circles in the neutral zone instead of helping out on the backcheck .. too slow at marking his man .. needs to develop a more regular mean streak .. should initiate physical contact more often and drive the net harder .. average in traffic .. more effective on open ice where he doesn't need to use his body .. should upgrade on intensity and determination .. shoots right.

Marek Viedensky (2008), RW

a decent skater .. adequate agility for a player of his size .. decent footspeed .. adequate top-end speed, but could use upgrading on his first-step quickness and acceleration .. okay balance on his skates .. would be more effective if he would be more explosive .. a decent stickhandler .. can deal with difficult passes adequately well .. could cover the puck more effectively .. could make better puck moves when pressed in heavy traffic and be a better force in one-on-one situations .. an adequately patient player in puck-possession .. makes adequately accurate passes .. willing to mix things up and head into the scoring chances .. fires an accurate wrist shot .. adequate snap shot .. slap shot of adequate accuracy could be upgraded in terms of hardness .. okay in-close finishing skills .. drives the net adequately hard .. occasionally willing to return to the defensive zone, but is still raw in his defensive awareness .. should spot his man more quickly .. average defensive positioning .. doesn't shy away from traffic, but isn't a player who would initiate physical contact very often .. doesn't lay many hits on the opponents .. should bulk up so that he can't be pushed out of scoring lanes easily .. a right-shooting forward.

Vladimir Lantos (2008), C

an adequate skater .. solid agility and footspeed but average stride effectiveness limits his skating .. could use a bigger top-end speed .. average balance .. needs to add more bulk to his thin lower-body .. decent stickhandling skills but should corral the difficult better more effortlessly .. capable of making nifty dekes in tight space but should cover the puck with a bigger effectiveness .. an accurate passer but his hockey sense and creativity don't stand out .. should recognize the passing lanes more quickly and shorten his decision-making time .. needs to be more persistent around the goal area .. solid wrist shot with a quick release .. should be more confident in one-timing passes with a shot .. needs to use his slap shot more frequently and upgrade on accuracy .. okay defensive awareness .. returns back to his own end quickly .. spots his man quickly but should play better in position .. adequate tenaciousness .. finishes his checks but needs to get stronger to be more effective in the corner battles .. prone to occasional off-shifts where he just floats on the perimeter .. an average player in the faceoff circle.

Radovan Cutt (2008), LW

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an okay skater with a fluid stride .. decent acceleration and top-end speed .. okay turns .. decent first-step quickness .. adequate balance could still be improved .. takes advantage of his quickness and mobility .. an okay puckhandler .. moves the puck out of the corners .. corrals difficult passes adequately well .. average passing skills .. accurate when passing the puck on a short distance but his average vision doesn't enable him to recognize long passing lanes quickly .. overlooks the odd passing lane .. decent variety of shots .. fires a quick wrist shot with a decent accuracy .. an okay hard slap shot with a fast release could be more accurate .. his snap shot could be released more quickly .. okay defensive awareness .. returns to his own end to help out the defense and plays with diligence in his own end .. spots his man adequately fast .. useful on the penalty killing units with his active play .. willing to wreak havoc among the opponents with his forechecking .. approaches the opposing players fast .. doesn't have significant problems in traffic despite modest size tools and doesn't play afraid .. can throw a decent hit when the play gets physical even on the bigger opponents .. a right-shooting forward.

Kladno Czech Jr Extraleague Champs! (posted 4.24.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

The Kladno juniors met expectations put on them before the start of the playoffs and once the final buzzer of the last playoff contest sounded, the squad from the steel city could celebrate with the trophy for the junior Extraleague champions. With the Kladno seniors not making the postseason play, the junior squad was boosted by junior standouts Michael Frolik and Jiri Tlusty and the defensive corps were bolstered with the return of blueliners David Ruzicka and Marek Troncinsky from their cup of coffees with the senior team. The boost gave the Kladno juniors unprecedented depth at the skaters' positions and anything short but a championship title would be regarded as a disappointment. Following is a recap of the plays of the most promising draft prospects from the Kladno team.

One of the anchors of the Kladno defense, David Ruzicka (2006), proved that he needs better wheels and an upgrade on acceleration and first-step quickness. However, he didn't fall back behind the play often. During the three final games, Ruzicka showed adequate agility and lateral movement, but was limited in terms of top-end speed. He played a solid game and showed that when he doesn't do too much he can be effective. On the offensive side, Ruzicka displayed decent stickhandling skills even if he wasn't flashy when moving the puck. As usual, he rushed the puck and supported the offense on occasions, yet was cautious about making a mistake and often passed the puck to the nearest teammate. He played a better positional game than during the previous viewings and quickly spotted his man, which was helpful especially in the third game. Ruzicka worked hard down low and played with an edge. He threw hits and cleared the crease with determination. This became further visible as he was willing to start a fight with opposing hot-head Marek Polak. He still should bulk up more to be more effective, but proved that he recent glimpses of promise were no fluke.

A highly scouted draft wildcard, Kladno defenseman Marek Troncinsky, played an inconsistent series with a great play on one shift before making a glaring mistake on the next shift. He regularly supported the offense with a two-way play and his abundance of confidence with the puck and a strong willingness to create emerged as his strong point. Keeping his plays more mistake-free turns out to be the next task for him in order to bring his game to a higher level. Troncinsky didn't pick up on his skating during the past two months and was still heavy-footed which limited him on transitions. He particularly made up for this drawback with his ability to read the plays well, but still should improve on his backwards skating. Troncinsky showed adequate lateral movement and okay stickhandling skills. Just like during the regular season, he was patient with the puck, playing with his head up and looking for the plays, but overhandled the puck on a number of shifts and lost possession. During the final series he distributed crisp accurate passes mostly on short and middle distance and carried the puck into the zone of the opponent. He was decent on the powerplay, serving as a powerplay quarterback. During the finals he was unusually reluctant to fire the puck, instead focused on making an accurate pass. Troncinsky was fine in the defensive zone, but didn't stand out due to his lack of mobility and defensive awareness. He played with a bit of a nasty edge, but wasn't as physical as during some of the regular season games.

The player who was watched the most was blue-chip forward and 2006 eligible Michael Frolik who pulled off a solid performance, especially in the third game when he stepped out of the shadows when the team needed it most. After only an adequate showing in the first game he was a factor thanks to consistent hustle and took advantage of his above-average explosiveness and agility. Frolik used a smooth stride which enabled him to accelerate quickly. As usual Frolik displayed solid lower-body strength and balance which enabled him to win physical battles along the boards while remaining standing. He made use of his above average vision and creativity and showed elite moves which helped him to create space and to sneak into traffic and get scoring chances. Frolik finally rediscovered his scoring touch after a season hampered by a serious scoring drought and registered his first multi-goal game since early February when he scored two for the Kladno seniors in an exhibition game against CSKA Moscow. Frolik often fired the puck from the blue line with a hard slap shot and was used as a powerplay pointman. He made plays from both sides of the stick and clicked well with his linemates Jiri Tlusty and overager Milan Hluchy, a former OHL player. Frolik distributed crisp, long accurate passes and filled his usual role of more of a playmaking forward but was adept at shooting and scoring as well. Frolik was willing to battle for the pucks and backchecked diligently. He turned out to be a threat at both ends of the ice with the offensive side prevailing.

Kladno's second blue-chipper, belligerent sniper Jiri Tlusty was used as a defensive forward on the line centered by Frolik. Tlusty wasn't as flashy and offensive as Frolik, but filled his role very well and showed a good defensive maturity. Tlusty, a nominee for the Czech senior Extraleague 'Top rookie' award, made use of his above-average strength to out power the Trinec forwards and arguably outplayed Frolik in the first game before Frolik caught fire in the final two games of the series. Tlusty made numerous quick takeaways using a quick stick move and showed impressive lower-body strength and balance. He took advantage of a powerful stride and solid agility. He also proved that he possesses okay first-step quickness and acceleration which helped him to out skate the slower Trinec defensemen. He wasn't slick with the puck, but was still smooth and maintained possession also in heavy traffic. Tlusty bursted into breakaways when the occasion arose and often one-timed passes from Frolik on the PP and has emerged as a factor on the penalty killing units. Tlusty played a diligent style in the slot and along the boards. He blocked the opposing passing lanes and made several smart pinches in his own end. Is a solid passer who played a mistake-free game with the puck. His creativity didn't stand out in this series, however his role wasn't to set up plays, but rather help out the defense. Tlusty showed a solid hockey sense and an ability to read the plays at both ends of the ice even before they happened.

Flashy Kladno' speedster Martin Latal played a better game than during the semifinal series against Vsetin and was able to take better advantage of his speed. He forechecked aggressively and took the puck away from the Trinec players with regularity. He carried the puck into the opposing zone often and gained possession. Latal usually rushed deep into the offensive zone and then made an accurate pass from the corner. The Trinec defensemen had a tough time keeping him under control due to his agility and explosiveness. Latal drove the net effectively when heading for one-on-one situations. Displays a willingness to share the puck more often and showed decent passing accuracy, but didn't stand out with his creativity. His role on the line wasn't to create, though, as Michal Kazatel was asked to distribute passes to him and their last linemate at forward, Tomas Hudicek. Latal didn't throw hits along the boards, although he was willing to get occasionally involved in the corner battles and showed some determination. He served as an energetic disturber and didn't set himself into a scoring chance very often but finally broke his scoring drought in the third game after tipping home a loose rebound. He played an average game in the defensive end and proved that he should spot his man quicker and stay with him as his defensive positioning needs improvement. He turned out to be a mainstay on the powerplay units than on the penalty killing units.

The stocky Kladno first line center, 2006 eligible Michal Kazatel, registered more of a disappointing final series where he didn't find a way how to step up with his play. Just like during the regular season, Kazatel showed adequate skating skills but a player of his size needs to skate faster to make up for his size drawback. He refused to keep his feet moving and often fell back behind the play. Kazatel put on display decent agility but footspeed and top-end speed remain an issue with him. He showed above-average lower-body strength and balance as the Trinec opponents had a tough time to knock him off his feet. Kazatel, who recently extended his contract with Kladno for three more years, didn't show his smooth moves with the puck and failed to create. He lost possession of the puck in tight spaces, something which rarely occurred during the regular season. He proved that he possesses decent vision and hockey sense but couldn't make effective use of those assets. Kazatel should make bigger use of his quick accurate wrist shot and was reluctant to use the slap shot. His defensive awareness was better than during the previous viewings but still only average. He didn't play his position well in the defensive zone. Kazatel wasn't totally soft and occasionally played along the boards, but usually turned into a perimeter player once the play got more physical and as usual was a non-factor when performing off the puck.

Among the younger players on the team, 2007 eligible and blue chip prospect Jakub Voracek met expectations and was one of the building blocks for the Kladno victory. He was above-average in all three contests and was useful to his team with his drive on the net and scoring ability. He displayed okay skating skills for a player of his size and fluid acceleration, but he should improve a bit on his agility. Voracek regularly performed in the slot and got himself into positions to shoot. In the deciding game he scored the very important third goal off a breakaway and thus broke the resistance of the Trinec squad. He returned to his own end quickly and showed decent stick dekes and corralling of passes. Voracek became bullish with the puck and protected it well with his body. He made quick hard passes, but couldn't find a playmaking prowess. Voracek was not afraid to go with the puck into traffic and challenge the opponent one-on-one. As usual, he didn't back down in heavy traffic and threw solid hits. He would dig for the puck behind the opposing net and could out power opponents. Voracek still needs to improve on his ability to spot his man and stay with him. He also could use more smarts to block the opposing passing lanes to be fully effective on the backcheck.

Trinec juniors finished second in junior Extraleague (posted 4.23.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Trinec surprisingly were able to battle their way into the finals as the odds were on their elimination by Slavia Praha in the semifinals. However, the team spirit and determination helped the Trinec juniors defeat the favored squad from the country's capital. With the Trinec senior team being knocked out of the playoffs coincidentally by Slavia Praha, the junior squad was boosted by the full-time arrival of defenseman Alexander Hegegy, who had been practicing with the senior squad, however the rest of the team was a cohesive unit who had played the complete regular season together. The depth on their roster couldn't match the depth of Kladno and Trinec filled the role of an underdog who already registered a success with the qualification for the final series. As envisioned, Trinec was defeated in the finals, but left a solid impression. Following is a recap of the plays of the most promising draft prospects from the Trinec team.

The most notable 2006 eligible prospect on the Trinec defense, Alexander Hegegy, served as the two-way defenseman to more defensively-focused Karel Vydra. During the final series Hegegy showed decent skating skills and proved that he possesses acceptable acceleration and first-step quickness. He is clearly progressing in his agility but needs to gain bulk to his lower-body so as not to be knocked off his feet so often and should further upgrade on his top-end speed. In games of the final series he tried to move the puck out of his own end while deking several opponents along the way but often couldn't succeed and lost possession of the puck. A player with Div I senior experience from Prostejov, Hegegy stayed back when asked to play defensively, but often rushed the puck. He dished out accurate passes on the short distance but wasn't very effective with long passes. Reluctant to fire shots from the point and during the series he wasn't useful as a shooter. Hegegy often performed on the powerplay units as a quarterback but proved that he doesn't have the top-notch offensive vision and displayed a penchant to occasional positional mistakes in the defensive zone. He remains average at spotting his man and should upgrade on his physical assertiveness. Hegegy should become nastier when asked to clear the crease. During the series he relied on his skills than on toughness but didn't find a way how to be really effective with his game.

A nice surprise during the final series with a steady defensive performance, 2006 eligible blueliner Karel Vydra responded well to the increased responsibility laid on him by the coaches. The unheralded prospect put on display decent skating skills, however still needs to upgrade his first-step quickness. He tried hard to keep his feet moving and wasn't out skated by many opponents. Vydra made clear that he possesses decent acceleration and top-end speed as well as adequate agility and balance. His okay stickhandling skills were evident when he moved the puck out of his own end, but wasn't tested by many difficult passes. During all three games Vydra battled hard in the defensive zone. He could foresee the defensive plays before they happened but showed trouble with his offensive vision. He spotted his man quickly and stayed with him. Vydra didn't make stupid mistakes and played a steady game in the defensive zone. He handled pressure with above-average poise but was prone to dumping the puck under pressure especially from the quickest Kladno forwards such as Martin Latal. Vydra carried the puck out of his own zone and then looked for a short pass. He limited his passes on a short distance but made regular accurate feeds and served a decent factor on penalty killing units. Vydra was willing to fire the pucks using mostly his snap shot but his slap shot needs to be harder and less telegraphed. Overall, Vydra did his best to succeed and pulled off a decent performance.

The most coveted prospect on the team, 2008 eligible rearguard Tomas Kundratek, played on the first defensive pairing as the stay-at-home partner to overager Michal Matejka. The defensive pair was asked to shut down the most dangerous line of Kladno, the line centered by Michael Frolik. Kundratek, who recently signed a three-year contract with the Trinec team, played a solid showing on the defensive side with some limits on the offensive side. He handled the pace of the game well with his okay skating skills but couldn't avoid falling back when rushing the puck deep into the opposing zone. Kundratek took advantage of his above-average lateral agility and backwards speed to keep the plays in front of him and showed his decent lower-body strength and balance. Kundratek made several mistakes with the puck when pressed but mostly handled the puck with poise and confidence. He distributed hard accurate passes, getting the puck mostly to the nearby teammate. As usual he wasn't reluctant to fire shots from the point but should upgrade on the quickness of his release in order to get them through. Kundratek played an intelligent game on the penalty killing units which helped his team to save time. He didn't play soft but didn't throw many hits and pushed the opponents out of scoring lanes instead of hitting (which might have been due to being penalized by for a clean hit). Played a solid positional game and generally spotted his man quickly. Kundratek blocked the opposing passing lanes well but along with his partner couldn't avoid the most dangerous Kladno offensive unit from creating offensive chances on a regular basis. Overall, given his age and lack of experience he succeeded in his task and his potential remains very appealing.

One of the two players with CHL experience from all Trinec players, 2006 eligible winger Marek Polak, didn't stand out in this series but was useful with his aggressiveness and a hot head. He didn't display a progress in his creativity, yet showed an okay hustle and drove the net hard despite average size. As the nastiest man on the ice, Polak was willing to drop the gloves and started a wild fight with another former OHLer, Kladno's Milan Hluchy late in the third period of the last game. On the offensive side, his intentions with the puck were often too predictable. Polak didn't recognize passing lanes very quickly and despite the obvious fact that his play was spirited and gritty, he could use more hockey sense. Polak didn't use his shot often and routinely looked for a passing lane instead. He looked too nervous on the scoring chances which negatively influenced his in-close finishing. Marek Polak regularly took physical abuse and showed decent stickhandling skills. He corralled passes adequately well but wasn't beautiful when moving the puck and emerged an average factor in one-on-one situations. He should cover the puck better to avoid giveaways. Polak played a sub-par game in the defensive end and often floated in the neutral zone instead of helping out on the backcheck. He should step up with his game more and be a bigger offensive threat to gain prospect status.

One of the most talented forwards on the Trinec junior team, 2006 eligible right winger Zbynek Hampl took advantage of his okay skating and puckhandling skills, two assets which made him one of the offensive anchors of the team. The lanky forward accelerated adequately and showed decent top-end speed and agility. He still needs to improve his balance and add lower-body strength to his frame which became noticeable as he was knocked off his feet by smaller opponents. Hample made use of his quick stick dekes and could corral passes while turning. He used both sides of the stick blade when making a pass but didn't make many long accurate passes with solid timing. Hampl displayed above-average effectiveness when cycling the puck in the corner. His creativity didn't stand out but Hampl was willing to try and finish on scoring chances, using mostly his wrist shot. He needs to fire harder and more accurate slap shots. In order to be more effective Hampl should be more aggressive in the opponent's crease and upgrade his forechecking ability. He lacks spirit and determination but in this series he worked harder than during any of the previous viewings. Hampl proved that he possesses only an average defensive awareness as needed a long time to spot his man. He wasn't a significant factor once the play got nastier and showed that he doesn't initiate physical contact very often.

The stocky 2006 eligible center Tomas Grofek wasn't a noticeable factor in the final series as he couldn't fill his role of a grinding playmaker. He split time between the position of center and left winger since Lukas Zeliska was switched to center for the playoffs. Grofek showed that he possesses adequate skating skills but should pick up on top-end speed. He displayed okay agility and balance but couldn't control the play of the line as a playmaker should, a weakness which occurred with him during the last viewings. Grofek couldn't set up scoring chances for his wingers and was too precipitous with the puck especially when pressed and played with a limited vision and hockey sense. Grofek distributed accurate passes only in short distances and was reluctant to shoot the puck. Performed in traffic and mucked for the loose pucks but was inconsistent in this asset. Grofek turned out to be a decent force along the boards when deciding to stick his nose into corner battles. He would come back to help out the defense but was raw in his ability to spot his man and stay with him. Grofek displayed decent defensive positioning and only emerged as a limited factor on the powerplay units. He became more of a factor on the PKs where he played a spirited style. Limited success rate in the faceoff circle when performing at center had a negative influence on his effectiveness as a faceoff man.

Slovak 2006 eligible forward Lukas Zeliska was switched to center for most of the series after performing for the majority of the season at right wing. He centered the first line and turned out to be the Trinec's most dangerous offensive weapon in this game. He also proved that he possesses okay skating skills and solid agility. Zeliska took advantage of his explosiveness to burst into scoring chances, yet still needs to improve his balance. In most scoring chances Zeliska fired a quick accurate wrist or snap shot which are his most dangerous offensive weapons. He became the most dominant factor in the third game when he scored two goals and held the Trinec chances on a championship title till late in the second period. A very talented player, who has been plagued by a questionable attitude and work ethic off the ice, worked harder than during our previous viewings. Used his smooth stickhandling skills to bring the opposing players out of position and sneak into the offensive zone. Zeliska turned out to be a threat on the powerplays in this series, often executing from the corner. He proved that he possesses a sub-par defensive awareness as needed a long time to spot his man. Zeliska was more determined to battle traffic given the importance of the series. He didn't take glaring off-shifts and stepped up with his play, but still didn't play with fire in his eyes.

The former OHL player (Guelph), right winger Jaromir Florian opened some eyes with his play during the final series and was likely the most dangerous Trinec forward after Zeliska. He displayed decent skating skills and okay footspeed and displayed upgraded explosiveness. Florian used a sharp change of pace but could further upgrade on his top-end speed. He wasn't slow in this series but a higher separation gear would help him to spurt past the opponents more effortlessly. His okay balance indicated a progress in his lower-body strength during the season. Possesses decent stickhandling skills and challenged opponents in one-on-one situations and corralled the passes without problems and used both sides of the stick blade. Florian showed creativity and played a good game on the powerplay units where he was often used as a defenseman. He drove the net relatively hard and showed more spirit and determination. Florian played a smart game on the penalty killing units and limited the options of the opponent in a smart way. He broke up the passing lanes well and was more intense when playing without the puck than during previous viewings. Florian added a more physically assertive style and usually jumpstarted his team with a hard hit on one of the first shifts.

HC Bili Tygri Liberec juniors (posted 4.19.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Petr Hrach (2006), D

an average skater .. even if he possesses a decent straightaway speed and balance, he has trouble when moving laterally .. relatively slow on turns .. faster opponents who can make him move cause him trouble .. should further upgrade on his first-step quickness .. average top-end speed .. a competitive defenseman who plays a dependable game in his own end .. solid in one-on-one situations .. possesses enough size and strength to handle most junior opponents well .. a decent stickhandler, but still could improve on his hands .. doesn't make glaring mistakes with the puck and is an accurate passer over a short distance .. doesn't move the puck out of his own end often .. doesn't have the offensive vision for long outlet passes .. fires a hard shot from the point but needs to upgrade on accuracy of his slap shots .. doesn't play afraid and throws solid hits when the play gets physical .. decent crease-clearing ability .. useful on penalty killing units .. an '87 born defenseman .. lackluster skating and limited talent nullify his pro potential.

Michal Pavlu (2006), D

an average skater despite the recent progress in his propulsion .. blessed with a decent acceleration .. adequate balance and lower-body strength .. gets beaten on turns and when asked to move laterally it allows fast forwards to beat him wide .. plays dependable in his own end .. stays with his man .. doesn't make positional mistakes, however should support the offense with a better timing .. doesn't panic with the puck but average creativity limits his effectiveness .. an accurate passer over a short distance, but doesn't make long outlet passes often .. a decent puckhandler with adequate hands .. shows limits in his game .. reluctance to use his shooting skills hurts him on the offensive side .. refuses to fire hard shots from the point and uses the snap shot in all situations instead .. hampered by a lack of aggressiveness .. doesn't use his solid size to his advantage and uses his stick instead of his body .. isn't a good hitter and tends to play 'friendly' along the boards .. should sweep the crease with a bigger determination .. an '87 born .. shoots right .. won't be selected in the draft.

Tomas Mrkvicka (2006), D

a pint-sized rearguard .. an adequate skater but a smallish player like him needs a better propulsion .. keeps his feet moving, but thanks to his not overly effective stride his acceleration isn't impressive .. decent change of pace and lateral movement .. adequate turns .. solid lower-body strength, but his lack of size allows him to get knocked off his feet a bit too easily .. displays his offensive flair regularly and joins the rush .. occasionally precipitous when supporting offense and loose pucks, which leads to turnovers .. average offensive vision .. stickhandling skills are sufficient for junior hockey, but he doesn't impress with the backhand side .. fires an accurate shot from the point which is weak and doesn't get through often .. doesn't play afraid despite the lack of size .. willing to execute along the boards and clear the crease, but can't handle the big opponents effectively .. tends to lose position in his own end and play fuzzy defense sometimes .. should upgrade on his positional play .. shoots right .. a late '87 born defenseman .. not NHL material.

Martin Tondr (2006), D

an okay skater with solid explosiveness .. possesses decent acceleration and change of pace .. makes sharp turns .. okay top-end speed and lateral movement, although could use more balance on his skates .. possesses a solid offensive flair and doesn't hesitate to join the rush .. decent stickhandling skills .. capable of a quick move .. should cover the puck more effectively .. boasts an adequate vision, which enables him to make solid passes .. can run the powerplay but his offensive vision isn't top-notch .. needs to improve on his positional play and stay with his man all the way .. decent shooting skills .. willing to fire the pucks .. his shots from the point are adequately accurate, but not hard .. biggest downside is his smallish frame .. plays with intensity and works hard down low, but big forwards cause him trouble as he doesn't have the strength to outmuscle them either along the boards or in one-on-one battles .. adequate crease-clearing abilities .. should further upgrade on his positional play and avoid falling back behind the plays when joining the rush .. a diligent asset to the penalty killing units .. an '87 born defenseman .. too small for NHL consideration.

David Kajinek (2006), D

blessed with a lanky frame .. a decent skater for a player of his size .. skating is likely to improve with more lower-body strength .. uses an okay smooth stride .. blessed with an acceptable acceleration .. decent first-step quickness .. okay change of pace and lateral movement for a big man .. adequate top-end speed .. doesn't get knocked off his skates too often but still should upgrade on his balance .. a player who is at his best when playing a defensive style of play .. doesn't possess offensive vision to contribute on the attack effectively .. average stickhandling ability .. should corral a difficult pass more smoothly .. okay pinching .. keeps the plays simple .. is reliable in his own end and well aware of his limits, doing his best to minimize his drawbacks during the play .. doesn't make many positional mistakes .. works hard down low and doesn't take odd shifts off .. adequate crease-clearer but should be meaner .. gets physically involved but isn't a factor due to a skinny frame .. unleashes an adequately accurate shot from the point, yet needs to learn how to get it through and make it less telegraphed .. not worth selecting in the draft, but worth watching in the future seasons for his possible progress.

Martin Rygl (2006), D

an offensive-minded rearguard .. a decent skater with a stride of decent effectiveness .. adequate acceleration and lateral movement .. isn't easy to get knocked off his feet .. solid turns and footspeed .. likes to join the rush and displays solid poise when moving the puck .. uses his reach effectively and is adept at distributing the pucks smartly .. still prone to the odd bad decision with the puck .. doesn't panic under pressure too much .. a solid puckhandler who possesses a decent portion of vision and hockey sense .. doesn't hesitate to fire his above-average shot from the point .. slap shot is of good hardness, but could be more accurate .. needs to improve on his positioning as he sometimes doesn't seem to know where his place on the ice is .. could play with a bigger mean streak and show his nasty edge more often .. possesses a solid frame, but isn't fully using it to his advantage .. aggressiveness is a thing to work on for him .. shoots right .. an '86 born player .. will make his living with playing in Europe, but isn't a legitimate NHL prospect.

Libor Bezdek (2006), LW

an average skater with adequate bursts of speed and quickness .. keeps his feet moving but lacks the stride effectiveness to be quick on his skates .. decent balance on his skates thanks to an okay lower-body strength .. needs to further upgrade on his agility and make sharper turns .. possesses decent puckhandling skills .. more of a playmaker than a finisher .. can make passes with solid timing, but should upgrade on accuracy .. keeps things simply when playing under pressure .. hockey sense and vision don't stand out but can be a valuable player with his diligence and intensity .. needs to work on his variety of shots .. doesn't use his inaccurate slap shot very often .. persistent around the goal area but should be more smooth in-close .. a diligent player who works hard in all three zones .. battles for the loose pucks .. doesn't throw many hits and should use his body to bigger extent but regularly digs for the pucks and disturbs the opponents .. is solid in his defensive play as he is willing to return back and help out .. blocks the opposing passing lanes .. adequate positional play .. a solid asset to the penalty killing units but should be more effective on powerplays .. isn't worth selecting in the draft.

Michal Barta (2006), C

a middle-sized forward .. a solid skater with deceptive bursts of speed and quickness .. displays a fluid stride to go along with decent agility and top-end speed .. should further upgrade on his balance .. a solid stickhandler who plays a finesse game .. okay dealing with difficult passes .. uses both sides of the stick .. likes to make quick dekes .. creativity and hockey sense is an issue with him .. an adequate passer, but needs to work on the timing of his passes .. prone to overhandling the puck .. decent in-close finishing skills .. a decent forechecker .. battles for the pucks a lot and is willing to play in traffic but his size is a disadvantage for him despite solid strength .. willing to occasionally finish his checks .. possesses a solid variety of shots, but the slap shot needs to be more accurate and harder .. shows a commitment to the defensive play, but has to further improve in this asset, especially in his positioning in the defensive zone .. a decent asset to the special units but doesn't stand out as either powerplay or penalty killing specialist .. a late '87 born forward .. emerges as one of the most promising players on the team but didn't progress enough to be worth selecting in the draft.

Petr Bacovsky (2006), C/RW

an adequate skater .. uses a short stride and should upgrade on stride effectiveness to be faster .. adequate footspeed .. average explosiveness and acceleration need to be improved .. possesses an okay agility and change of pace .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. average top-end speed .. doesn't win footraces .. more of a playmaking forward .. returns back to the defensive zone to start the offensive raids from deep .. average vision and hockey sense limits his effectiveness .. should upgrade on the timing of his passes .. a decent stickhandler .. handles most of the passes adequately well but the difficult ones can give him a tough time .. should upgrade on the hardness of his variety of shots .. uses primarily his wrist or snap shot .. slap shot should be more harder and accurate .. eager to gain possession of the puck .. returns back to his own end but should spot his man more quickly and upgrade on his defensive positioning .. plays a diligent game but isn't much of a physical menace .. gets outpowered by stronger opponents .. a versatile player who plays both center and right wing .. isn't worth considering for a selection in the draft.

Lukas Tondr (2007), C

a diminutive center .. takes advantage of his above-average bursts of speed .. stride of decent effectiveness .. keeps his feet moving and displays a solid agility on his skates .. capable of sharp moves .. needs to upgrade on balance and lower-body strength .. smooth in puck pursuit .. uses both sides of the stick .. can succeed in one-on-one situations with his tricky moves .. very offensively minded .. needs to upgrade on his strength to cover the puck more effectively with his body .. able to stickhandle in a phone booth, but avoids battling traffic .. decent in-close finishing skills .. likes to deke goaltenders and looks for the finesse way to score .. should fire harder shots .. uses primarily his fast-released wrist shot or a solid accurate snap shot .. reluctant to use his slap shot .. willing to work along the boards but isn't a constant force in this asset .. should upgrade on his defensive awareness .. his intensity drops in his own end despite the progress compared to the previous season .. can get outpowered by bigger opponents .. plays more of a finesse style and avoids initiation of physical contact for most of the time .. a late '88 born forward .. too small and one-dimensional for NHL consideration.

Michal Kapicka (2006), RW

a smallish right winger .. possesses above-average skating skills .. shows solid bursts of speed and is capable of winning footraces .. makes turns on a dime .. possesses an okay agility .. acceptable top-end speed .. decent balance, but tends to get knocked off his feet by bigger players .. a crafty puckhandler with a decent hand-eye coordination .. should upgrade on his creativity and his willingness to share the puck .. average vision and hockey sense .. doesn't hesitate to fire the puck .. above-average in-close finishing skills .. a quick release on his wrist and snap shot which can surprise .. adequate hard slap shot isn't used very often .. not efficient defensive play .. intensity and interest drops in his own end .. marks his man slowly .. doesn't show up in tight spaces thanks to a lack of size .. doesn't hide from physical contact, but isn't the same force when opponents start to play his body .. shoots right .. a late '85 born overager .. isn't a player with NHL potential.

HC Ceske Budejovice juniors (posted 4.18.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Jakub Kovar (2006), G

possesses above-average size .. his play consists of a mix of stand-up and butterfly style .. possesses fast reflexes and is tough to beat on the initial shots .. angles the shots off into the corners with above-average effectiveness .. doesn't tend to flop around a lot and shows okay fundamentals .. possesses adequate athleticism for a big man, but still could use more dexterity in his play .. boasts a decent glove hand .. possesses a solid mental toughness .. doesn't let a bad goal bother him and shows an above-average focus .. willing to challenge the shooter occasionally but tends to play deeper in the crease than needed on many situations .. decent movement in the crease for a big man .. decent lateral movement .. recovers from butterfly well .. controls the rebounds well and usually doesn't allow too many .. stickhandling skills need further polishing in order to avoid 'adventures' when moving the puck .. average passing accuracy .. a fringe NHL prospect.

Alexander Salak (2006, G

a quick smallish goaltender .. displays a good movement in the crease .. takes advantage of his quickness .. a solid skater .. moves effectively side-to-side and is quick to recover after dropping to a butterfly .. shows poise and confidence, waiting for the shooter to make the first move but could anticipate the developing plays more quickly .. positions himself square to the shooter adequately well .. is tough to beat on the initial shot .. possesses a solid athleticism .. above-average reflexes enables him to handle most rebounds well .. on the downside lacks size and doesn't have any outstanding intangible to make up for this drawback .. is more vulnerable in the upper shelf thanks to an average glove hand and a penchant to go down sometimes too early .. isn't a total liability when handling the puck, but still needs further progress in this term .. average passing accuracy .. an '87 born goaltender .. isn't worth selecting in the draft.

Michal Klima (2006), D

a sized defenseman .. an adequate skater, but could use a smoother stride and a better acceleration .. average first-step quickness .. should further upgrade on his top-end speed .. doesn't get knocked off his skates very often thanks to a decent balance and lower-body strength .. a player who is at his best when playing a defensive style of play .. is reliable in his own end and doesn't make many positional mistakes .. works hard down low .. decent crease-clearer .. is willing to support the offense, but lacks the nifty puckhandling skills and offensive vision to contribute on the attack effectively .. hands are too stoned for moving the puck through traffic .. should corral difficult passes more effectively .. keeps the plays simple but lacks offensive imagination .. doesn't play a very aggressive style and doesn't throw many hits despite the appealing size tools .. fires a solid hard shot from the point, but needs to learn how to get it through and upgrade on accuracy .. an '87 born defenseman .. shows some tools, but lacks talent for being worth selecting in the draft.

Martin Paryzek (2007), D

an adequate skater for a player of his size but still needs to further upgrade on his first-step quickness and acceleration .. would be more effective if he would keep his feet moving .. decent agility .. adequate backwards skating and lateral movement .. decent balance but needs more strength to his thin lower-body .. could use a bigger top-end speed .. isn't beautiful when moving the puck, but shows decent stickhandling skills .. uses a long stick and can be an effective pincher .. reads the developing plays well .. prefers risky-low plays and plays a simple game in his own end .. mostly chooses the most safe play when moving the puck .. plays with decent smarts .. willing to use his shot from the point with a decent hardness but should pick up on accuracy .. shows okay aggressiveness in his own end .. works adequately hard down low .. is able to throw a decent hit but bulking up is still a need .. solid at clearing the crease, but isn't an all-time physical presence .. decent safe positional play .. a reliable force in the defensive zone .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. an '89 born defenseman .. will earn pro potential if he will be able to pick up on his skating.

Jakub Cerny (2006), C

an okay skater with solid bursts of speed and agility .. possesses good footspeed and first-step quickness, but needs to upgrade on balance and lower-body strength .. okay turns .. should further upgrade on his top-end speed .. can maneuver with the puck in traffic relatively well thanks to his okay stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. utilizes on his decent understanding of the developing plays .. can sneak into scoring opportunities but doesn't run the opponents over and shows difficulties with driving the net hard .. unleashes a fast accurate wrist shot, but his slap shot needs to be more hard .. is used on powerplays as a defenseman .. shows decent passing skills and is adept at finding his linemates .. isn't much of a physical force and can get outmuscled in the corner battles .. needs to upgrade on his defensive awareness .. is willing to return back to his own end, but should mark his man more quickly and stay with him .. average defensive positioning .. an '87 born .. a talented player, but bound for Europe.

Ondrej Jezek (2006), LW

registered a solid progress in his skating but still didn't pick it up to pro caliber .. possesses a more effective stride .. decent agility .. adequate top-end speed .. decent balance, but occasionally gets knocked off his feet thanks to his lack of lower-body strength .. average stickhandling skills .. can't dangle the puck in traffic .. prefers passing to shooting .. a decent passer who can find the open man with an accurate pass but doesn't have an outstanding creativity .. uses primarily his wrist shot or snap shot over the slapper .. should further develop on his in-close finishing skills .. a decent defensive awareness .. stays with his man and shuts down the opposing passing lanes .. a good asset to the penalty killing units .. works hard in the defensive zone .. doesn't play afraid, but isn't a significant physical menace .. should be willing to drive the net harder .. prone to occasional dives .. took advantage of his strong attitude and work ethic to upgrade on his skills set .. an '87 born forward .. isn't worth picking in the draft.

Jakub Matusik (2006), C

an average skater .. doesn't impress with his acceleration and stride effectiveness .. adequate agility on his skates .. lacks high top-end speed .. should further upgrade on his balance and lower-body strength .. decent stickhandling skills, but isn't impressive with the puck in tight space .. should cover the puck better and corral difficult passes more effortlessly .. should fire the pucks more often as he prefers passing to shooting .. okay passing accuracy when passing the puck on a short distance .. doesn't have the vision and hockey sense to recognize long passing lanes quickly .. average variety of shots, the quickly released snap shot is the most impressive one .. all shots should be more accurate .. a solid defensive awareness .. returns to his own end in time and blocks the passing lanes .. plays in his own end in position adequately well .. is diminutive and gets regularly outmuscled by bigger opponents .. doesn't play a tough style and isn't a traffic force .. an '87 born .. out of NHL draft consideration.

Jakub Marek (2006), LW

a decent skater .. shows a solid footspeed .. possesses a decent agility .. adequate top-end speed .. decent turns .. important for him is to add more bulk to his lower-body which would help him to upgrade on his balance .. a decent stickhandler but doesn't dangle the puck through traffic .. adequate corralling of difficult passes .. adequate passing skills .. should improve on his ability to make an accurate backhand pass .. aware of the linemates, but is prone to playing with his head down which limits his effectiveness .. willing to shoot the puck once on a scoring chance, but needs to upgrade on accuracy of all his shots .. wrist shot is of decent accuracy .. doesn't play afraid, but his size factor is an obstacle in his pro potential .. gets outmuscled by bigger opponents and pushed out of scoring chances .. returns back to defense but is average in his defensive commitment .. doesn't mark his man fast enough .. should upgrade on defensive positioning .. an '87 born forward .. doesn't have the tools to be selected in the draft.

Josef Slavik (2006), C/LW

an adequate skater with solid lower-body strength and balance .. should further develop on his agility and make sharper turns .. adequate top-end speed could be further improved .. sub-par stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. doesn't dangle the puck in traffic .. doesn't have top-notch vision, but can find his teammate with a pass when the obvious passing lane is present .. needs to fire the pucks more often .. average variety of shots .. should fire more harder snap and slap shots .. doesn't crash the net and tends to float around on periphery when the play gets physical .. doesn't play an aggressive style despite adequate size .. an average worker along the boards who doesn't dig for the pucks very often .. not a significant traffic force .. would be more effective if he would gain more strength .. solid defensive awareness .. returns back quickly and blocks opposing passing lanes .. okay on the penalty killing units .. used as a defensive role player .. an '87 born forward .. not a NHL prospect.

Tomas Rod (2006), RW

a diminutive waterbug .. an okay skater with a solid footspeed .. possesses an extra gear but his first-step quickness should be further improved .. solid agility .. okay top-end speed .. should upgrade on his balance and lower-body strength .. needs to learn how to use his speed effectively .. thanks to his smallish size gets knocked off his feet often .. solid puckhandling skills .. can dangle the puck and dance around the opposing players .. can go end-to-end with the puck but average hockey sense limits his effectiveness .. average passing skills .. prone to fuzzy plays in the offensive zone when asked to execute under pressure .. likes to unleash a sharp wrist shot in the upper shelf .. okay snap shot .. needs to fire more harder slap shots .. solid on the powerplay units .. not a force in traffic .. more of a finesse player .. doesn't show a commitment to the defensive play .. needs to spot his man more quickly and stay with him when performing in the defensive zone .. gets outmuscled by bigger players .. an '87 born forward .. isn't worth selecting in the draft.

Jan Mursak (2006), RW

a very good skater .. able to execute at top speed .. possesses a separation gear .. impresses with his acceleration and an above-average agility .. makes turns on a dime .. likes to burn opposing defenders with speed .. adequate lower-body strength still could be improved .. smooth stickhandling skills .. a solid force in one-on-one situations .. decent passing skills .. adequate passing skills .. strong variety of shots and in-close finishing skills .. fires a quick and accurate wrist and snap shot .. decent slap shot should be more harder .. adept at gaining offensive zone for his team .. needs to further develop his defensive awareness as his intensity in his own end tends to cool off a bit .. should mark his man more quickly and upgrade on his defensive positioning .. doesn't play afraid but needs to add more muscle mass to his frame and get stronger to handle traffic more effectively .. can be pushed out of the scoring lanes by stronger opponents but can be only seldom caught due to his speed .. isn't very willing to throw hits and relies more on finesse .. shoots right .. a legitimate NHL prospect.

Stanislav Polodna (2007), RW

a solid skater with okay footspeed .. solid acceleration .. above-average agility .. okay top-end speed .. solid stickhandling skills .. can use both sides of the stick when passing .. decent corralling of passes .. looks for passing opportunities and shows adequate creativity but isn't a playmaking force .. an accurate passer who can find the open man when passing on a short distance .. solid aggressiveness despite modest size .. a decent hitter along the boards who doesn't back down from battling bigger opponents .. drives the net hard but doesn't run opponents over yet .. needs to gain more bulk .. solid in-close finishing skills .. can be adequately patient once on a scoring chance .. okay array of shots .. uses primarily his quick snap shot .. performs in the slot and looks for rebounds .. returns back to help out the defense but needs to further progress on his defensive awareness and show more intensity in his own end .. should spot his man quickly and limit his options more effectively .. displays pro potential.

Jiri Hanzal (2006), C

possesses solid acceleration and agility for a big man .. isn't easy to get knocked off his skates thanks to his okay balance .. shows some trouble with catching the pace of the game when it is played fast .. a solid puckhandler who can execute with the puck in traffic .. isn't a steady physical presence, but doesn't have significant trouble with the rough stuff and throws occasional good hits .. possesses adequate smarts and even if overlooks some passing lanes, he is adept at finding the open man .. emerges as a solid playmaker with a good defensive awareness. . positions himself well in his own end and shuts down the opposing passing lanes .. should upgrade on his variety of shots as he uses primarily his wrist or snap shot and doesn't fire slap shots .. an '85 born overager .. isn't worth a pick in the draft, however should make be able to make a decent living playing in Europe.

HC Havirov Panthers juniors (posted 4.15.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Filip Kolbert (2007), G

a good sized goaltender who covers enough of the net .. moves in the crease with adequate poise but should further improve on his skating skills .. better lateral movement would enable him to close the gaps in his stance more quickly .. should upgrade on his footspeed .. decent reflexes .. adequately sound technically .. prone to going down too early .. his flexibility and dexterity are decent and it enables him to handle rebounds well, however he still needs to improve his overall athleticism .. okay at playing his angles .. adequately fast glove hand .. decent anticipation of the developing plays .. possesses decent fundamentals and stays square to the shooter in most cases .. should work on not letting softer goals through his five-hole .. needs a further upgrade on his control of the initial shot .. an average stickhandler but is adequately composed when playing the puck .. a late '88 born goaltender .. not NHL material.

Michal Zimmer (2006), D

an undersized defenseman .. doesn't have very good skating skills for such a small player .. looks 'heavy footed' with average footspeed and acceleration .. possesses decent balance and lower-body strength, but should further develop on his turns and lateral movement .. average top-end speed .. an average stickhandler who doesn't impress with his hands and puckhandling ability .. is willing to join the rush and support the offense but should upgrade on the timing of his offensive raids .. doesn't have an overly good offensive vision, which causes positional breakdowns and wrong-timed plays when he gets caught in the offensive zone and a forward has to compensate for such lapses .. can be adequately effective when he stays back in his own end and doesn't try to do too much .. still needs to work on his positional play and stay with his man all the way .. possesses an adequate shot from the point, but he should keep it lower and use to a bigger extent .. doesn't play afraid and throws the occasional hit, but thanks to his frame he isn't much of a physical force and can get outpowered by bigger opponents .. isn't worth selecting in the draft.

Jiri Majerek (2006), LW/C

an average skater .. bent over when skating .. doesn't have a very effective stride, which affects his acceleration in a negative way despite a decent footspeed .. average agility .. adequate lower-body strength and balance .. adequate stickhandling skills, but doesn't show nifty puck skills in traffic .. should corrall difficult passes more smoothly .. prefers passing to shooting .. a decent passer who can find the open man with an accurate pass but only when the obvious passing lane is present .. uses primarily his wrist shot or snap shot over the slapper .. needs to improve on his in-close finishing skills and use more of a cool head once on a scoring chance .. returns back to start the offensive plays from deep .. possesses a decent defensive awareness but defensive positioning needs further improving .. stays with his man and shuts down the opposing passing lanes .. a decent asset to the penalty killing units .. on occassions willing to sacrifice his body to block a shot .. doesn't play afraid, but isn't a significant physical menace .. gets pushed around by bigger opponents .. a versatile player who can play both center and left wing .. doesn't have the talent to be selected in the draft.

Marek Sikora (2006), LW

displays decent skating skills and an okay stride .. blessed with an adequate acceleration and agility .. still could use further improvement of his first-step quickness but this asset doesn't hurt him .. possesses a decent balance .. doesn't get knocked off the puck too often thanks to a solid lower-body strength .. handles the puck smoothly with his solid hands and emerges as a good passer .. can find the open man with an accurate pass .. is a good asset to the powerplay units thanks to his decent creativity .. possesses an adequate array of shots, but once on a scoring chance he prefers to use his wrist or snap shot over the slap shot .. doesn't show a significant commitment to the defensive play and his intensity drops in the defensive zone .. average when playing off the puck .. doesn't use his body very often and isn't a physical force along the boards .. doesn't show a huge willingness to battle traffic regularly .. prone to odd off-shifts .. more of a finesse winger .. inconsistency hurts his showings .. a late '86 born player .. shoots right .. is going to spend his career in Europe.

Michal Sztefek (2006), LW/C

a decent skater .. uses a fluid stride .. decent acceleration and footspeed .. should further develop on his agility .. doesn't use his speed smartly against the opposing players and tends to loose position and 'fly' too much .. should further improve on his balance and lower-body strength .. okay stickhandling skills but doesn't dangle the puck in traffic .. likes to fool the opposition with stick moves just before taking the puck .. decent dealing with passes .. solid passing skills .. doesn't have an overly good creativity, but makes regular accurate passes to the nearby teammate .. adequate in-close finshing skills .. uses primarily the wrist or snap shot .. slap shot needs to be less telegraphed .. a versatile player .. can play left wing as well as center .. adequate defensive play, but is still raw in this asset .. looses position in his own end .. should limit the options of the opponents more conscientiously .. gets involved around the boards, but doesn't throw hard hits and tends to get pushed around by bigger players .. an '87 born forward .. won't be selected in the draft.

Ivo Dzupin (2006), RW

a smallish forward .. possesses okay skating skills .. displays okay bursts of speed .. possesses a decent first-step quickness .. adequate top-end speed .. should further upgrade on his agility .. average balance and a thin lower-body .. a tricky puckhandler who can make flashy moves with the puck on open space .. decent passing skills .. on occassions greedy in puck pursuit .. could use his linemates to a bigger extent .. uses all types of shots but needs to upgrade on hardness .. needs to upgrade on accuracy of the snap and slap shot .. adequate in-close finishing skills .. sub-par defensive play .. intensity and determination cool off in his own end .. marks his man slowly and doesn't play his position well in the defensive zone .. not a traffic force .. prefers open ice and doesn't muck in the corners for the pucks .. a finesse-orientated winger who lets the dirty work up to his linemates .. a late '87 born player .. shoots right .. too small and fragile for the NHL.

Jan Giesel (2006), RW

a solid skater in terms of overall speed and agility .. displays okay acceleration and footspeed .. okay first-step quickness .. gets knocked off his feet thanks to a sub-par balance .. solid stickhandling skills .. likes to have the puck on his stick and dangle .. maintains puck pursuit even in tight space thanks to his moves but doesn't have the physical strength to be strong on the puck in heavy traffic .. prone to the 'tunnel vision' when he holds on the puck too long and isn't effective .. average vision and hockey sense .. doesn't shoot the puck often and looks for a pass instead .. needs to pick up on passing accuracy .. adequate wrist shot .. doesn't use the slap shot often and should upgrade on hardness of the slapper .. sub-par defensive awareness .. intensity drops off in his own end .. needs a long time to spot his man and doesn't limit the options of the opponent with the needed conscientiousness .. a finesse winger who doesn't show up in traffic .. skinny and ineffective against big defensemen who push him out of scoring chances regularly .. an '87 born .. a right-shooting forward .. doesn't have the tools to be picked in the draft.

Martin Smetak (2006), RW

a decent skater with adequate bursts of speed and first-step quickness .. decent balance on his skates as he can absorp open-ice hits .. needs to further upgrade on his agility and make sharper turns .. adequate top-end speed .. adequate puckhandling skills but should develop softer hands to be more effective .. more of a playmaker than a finisher .. can make passes with decent timing, but should upgrade on accuracy .. should keep things simplier when performing in the offensive zone .. needs to work on his variety of shots .. doesn't use his unaccurate slap shot very often .. needs to be more lethal and persistent around the goal area .. a dilligent player who works hard in all three zones but is inconsistent in this asset .. doesn't throw many hits and should use his body to bigger extent .. is decent in his defensive play as he is willing to return back and help out .. blocks the opposing passing lanes .. average positional play, tries to be "everywhere" .. an adequate asset to the penalty killing units .. an '87 born forward .. won't be selected in the draft.

HC Chemopetrol Litvinov juniors (posted 4.14.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Radek Fiala (2006), G

more of a butterfly goalie with solid reflexes and quickness .. an okay skater with a decent lateral movement .. shows solid athleticism and dexterity .. possesses a strong glove hand, sometimes enticing forwards to shoot at his glove side .. doesn't make risky passes and focuses on stopping the puck and passing it to the nearby teammate instead of looking for a high risk stretch pass .. decent at playing his angles and doesn't seem to panic under pressure .. on the downside he tends to let in the odd initial shots from a longer distance .. adequate five-hole .. still should pick up on his fundamentals, but his style can be effective against most of the opposing shots .. displays some trouble with orientating in heavy traffic in front of him .. thanks to his smallish size he doesn't cover much of the net .. on the psychical side he shows solid a personality and confidence in his own abilities and isn't too cocky .. an '86 born netminder .. a player who can play his way out of junior hockey and perform in Europe but isn't a pro prospect.

Petr Chotas (2006), D

a gangly skater with a lanky frame .. an average skater .. could use a smoother stride and a better acceleration .. sub-par first-step quickness .. has trouble with players who can make him moving .. adequate lateral movement .. should upgrade on his effectiveness .. average top-end speed .. doesn't get knocked off his skates very often but still should upgrade on his balance .. a player who is at his best when playing a defensive style of play .. is adequately reliable in his own end and doesn't make many positional mistakes but lack of speed hurts him .. works hard down low .. decent crease-clearer .. doesn't possess offensive vision to contribute on the attack effectively .. sub-par stickhandling ability .. stiff when asked to corral a difficult pass .. adequate pinching .. keeps the plays simple .. gets physically involved .. a solid hitter but should get stronger to be more effective .. fires a solid hard shot from the point, but needs to learn how to get it through and upgrade on accuracy .. a right-shooting defenseman .. shows too many downsides to be worth selecting in the draft.

Karel Kubat (2006), D

an okay skater with a short stride .. okay agility and lateral movement .. decent first-step quickness .. could improve on his top-end speed .. fast turns .. should work on his balance and lower-body strength .. a decent offensive flair .. likes to join the rush and support the offense .. regularly distributes passes on both long and short distance but doesn't have an elite vision which negatively affects his timing of passes .. tends to misread on a number of offensive plays .. a decent stickhandler who can make plays from both sides of the stick but corralling of difficult passes is an issue .. okay passing accuracy .. an accurate snap shot with a fast release .. slap shot should be more hard .. useful as a powerplay quarterback and pointman but doesn't stand out in his roles .. isn't a real rock in his defensive zone coverage, but doesn't make glaring mistakes .. could improve on his positional play .. a solid physical presence despite his average frame size but tends to be inconsistent in his physical awareness .. hits hard along the boards and is a decent crease-clearer .. tends to loose position when hitting .. a former OHL player with the London Knights .. isn't a legitimate pro prospect.

Ondrej Pozivil (2006), D

a diminutive defenseman who possesses decent skating skills .. displays adequate speed, lateral movement and agility, but often looks tired in late stages of games .. needs to upgrade on conditioning .. could use more balance on his skates .. possesses a solid offensive flair and doesn't hesitate to join the rush .. boasts an adequate vision, which enables him to make solid passes .. can run the powerplay but his offensive vision isn't top-notch .. needs to improve on his positional play and stay with his man all the way .. should further develop his shooting skills .. doesn't fire the puck very often .. his shots from the point are adequately accurate, but not hard .. biggest downside is his smallish frame .. doesn't play a tough style and relies on his finesse way more than on toughness .. big forwards cause him trouble as he doesn't have the strength to outmuscle them either along the boards or in one-on-one battles .. defensive stickhandling is solid and Pozivil is decent at pinching the pucks from the opponents .. needs to upgrade on his crease-clearing abilities and work harder down low .. is expected to add an inch or two to his frame, but won't ever be a big player .. an '87 born .. too small for NHL consideration.

Lukas Rindos (2006), RW

a solid skater with an okay stride and acceleration .. isn't flying over the ice, but his solid agility enables him to bring opposing defensemen out of position .. registered a decent growth over the last season and needs to fill out his body .. light on his feet and adding more balance will be important in his progress .. okay top-end speed .. possesses above-average stickhandling skills .. more of an offensive player .. can succeed in one-on-one situations with his tricky moves .. uses his quick wrist and snap shot in most cases .. needs to fire more harder and accurate slap shots .. isn't a lethal finisher and needs to be more persistent around the goal area .. adequate in-close finishing skills .. decent accuracy of his passes but his creativity doesn't stand out .. sub-par in his defensive play .. intensity drops off noticeably in his own end .. willing to play in traffic, but is skinny and not very aggressive .. needs to play tougher along the boards .. vanes on the periphery for longer periods of time and needs to play full 60 minutes of intense hockey .. takes the odd shift off, when he just skates around and isn't involved .. an '87 born forward.

Michal Matous (2006), RW

a smallish winger .. takes advantage of his above-average bursts of speed .. keeps his feet moving and displays a solid agility on his skates .. a fluid stride .. needs to upgrade on balance and lower-body strength .. smooth in puck pursuit .. uses both sides of the stick .. can succeed in one-on-one situations with his tricky moves .. very offensively minded .. able to stickhandle in a phone booth, but avoids battling traffic .. decent in-close finishing skills .. likes to deke goaltenders and looks for the finesse way to score .. uses primarily his fast-released wrist shot or a solid accurate snap shot .. reluctant to use his slap shot .. doesn't work hard along the boards and leaves the corner work up to his linemates .. refuses to show up defensively and his intensity drops in his own end .. can get out powered by bigger opponents .. plays a very finesse style and avoids physical contact for most of the time .. regularly wanders on the perimeter .. a right-shooting player .. an '87 born .. too soft to survive under North American style.

Jan Nekvinda (2006), RW

a pint-sized winger .. a good skater with a choppy stride .. displays solid bursts of speed .. adequate footspeed .. capable of sharp turns .. okay top-end speed .. needs to upgrade on balance and gain more lower-body strength .. gets knocked off his feet too easily .. smooth hands who control the puck precisely .. an offensive winger who plays an one-dimensional game .. decent passing skills .. adequate creativity and hockey sense .. likes to deke opposing players .. needs to use the slap shot to a bigger extent .. fast release on his wrist shot .. a pure finesse player who doesn't execute along the boards and won't ever succeed on any checking line .. a defensive liability as his interest takes a dive in his own end .. marks his man too slowly .. average defensive positioning .. doesn't show up on the penalty killing units .. one of the smallest players on the elite Czech junior level avoids physical contact for most of the time and gets out powered by almost every opponent .. a right-shooting player .. an '87 born .. way too small to survive under North American style.

Michal Schon (2006), C

a diminutive center .. a solid skater with a fluid stride and adequate acceleration .. his solid agility enables him to fool the opposing defensemen .. upgrading on his balance is essential .. gets knocked off the puck too easy .. tends to 'fly' on the ice too much and loose position .. solid stickhandling skills .. more of a playmaking forward .. solid awareness of his linemates .. accurate passing ability .. hardly battles his way into a scoring chance and doesn't drive the net hard .. uses primarily his wrist shot or a snap shot with a fast release .. slap shot needs to be upgraded in terms of accuracy and hardness .. adequate in-close finishing skills .. willing to get occasionally involved along the boards and dig for the pucks, but because of his lack of size have most opposing players an easy time with out powering him .. not a force in heavy traffic .. sub-par defensive awareness .. doesn't react well to the developing plays in his own end .. needs to mark his man faster and upgrade on play on special units .. average defensive positioning .. an '87 born .. too small for NHL consideration.

Vladislav Vrtek (2006), C

an okay skater with a strong footspeed .. stride is of solid effectiveness and Vrtek keeps his feet moving .. shows a solid agility, but is light on his feet and needs to upgrade on balance .. strongest asset is his crafty stickhandling .. possesses fast and soft hands, which enable him to play the puck well .. a decent passer who can find the open man .. okay creativity .. solid awareness of his linemates .. needs to upgrade on his variety of shots .. uses primarily his wrist shot and needs to fire more harder slap shots .. wrist shot is of a fast release and solid accuracy .. isn't one-dimensional as he often returns to his own end to help out the defense .. can limit the options of the opposing players while backchecking .. should upgrade on his defensive positioning .. is smallish and not a major force in traffic .. doesn't play really afraid, but gets outmuscled by bigger defensemen regularly .. doesn't use his body very often and is more of a finesse player .. shows decent leadership skills .. adequate in the faceoff circle but still should upgrade on this asset .. a late '87 born player .. will play on the senior level in Europe, but not in the NHL.

David Zima (2006), C

an above-average skater with decent explosiveness .. possesses a solid agility to go along with decent lower-body strength .. okay top-end speed .. shows solid puckhandling skills .. likes to have the puck on his stick and create, but overhandles it on occasions .. more of a playmaker, but doesn't have elite vision and misses the odd passing lane .. blessed with adequate finishing skills .. uses primarily the wrist or snap shot .. could use a better accuracy of his shots .. should be more patient on the scoring chances .. boasts solid leadership skills and doesn't tend to take the odd shift off .. should further develop on his average defensive awareness as his intensity in his own zone drops off .. should spot his man more quickly .. added bulk during the offseason and this resulted into his upgraded confidence in traffic but still needs to get stronger .. is willing to use his body and is a solid hitter .. digs for the pucks in the corners .. prone to odd dumb fouls .. average in the faceoff circle .. a right-shooting forward .. isn't worth selecting in the draft but emerges as one of the more promising players of the team for a career in Europe.

Vlastimil Salac (2006), RW

an above-average skater with deceptive quickness .. shows a solid agility and footspeed .. possesses a solid acceleration .. doesn't slow down when handling the puck .. could only use a bigger top-end speed .. emerges as a swift puckhandler with soft hands .. blessed with solid smarts and offensive instincts .. an one-dimensional forward with the focus on offense .. capable of good tape-on-tape passes .. blessed with decent in-close finishing skills .. uses primarily the wrist or snap shot .. could use a better accuracy of his slap shot and should use the slapper more often .. should be more patient on the scoring chances to outwait the goaltender .. isn't willing to return to his own end to help out the defense and circles in the neutral zone .. needs to upgrade on his defensive awareness, especially the quickness of marking of his man .. not very interested in playing off the puck .. isn't an intimidating physical force but pays the physical price to succeed regularly .. looks for loose rebounds in the slot and performs in the traffic areas .. too one-dimensional for NHL consideration.

Peter Jansky (2006), RW

a gangly right winger .. a solid skater with a good acceleration .. adequate top-end speed helps him to outskate opposing defensemen .. his effective stride enables him to succeed in footraces .. solid agility on his skates .. adequate balance .. strong on the offensive side .. possesses quick hands who handle the puck smoothly .. tends to deke goaltenders once on a scoring chance .. could fire the puck more often .. possesses a decent variety of shots .. uses mostly his snap shot .. solid passing accuracy, but occasionally 'blind' on the ice and overlooks possible passing lanes .. could use more vision .. gets involved defensively, but doesn't stand out .. looks for breakaway chances rather than blocking the opposing passing lanes .. solid physical tools need to be used to a bigger extent .. should drive the net harder .. hardly gets physical and throws hits .. average worker along the boards .. a late '85 born forward .. can play on the senior level in Europe, but isn't NHL material.

Prospect Report: (posted 4.4.06)

by Mikko Vuori

Scouting notes from Finnish junior-b (under 18) league playoff cover 2006 draft hopefuls' Niko Hovinen, Jan-Mikael Juutilainen, Eetu Heikkinen and Joonas Kemppainen.

Jan-Mikael Juutilainen (2006), C, Jokerit

Talented center still has it when playing against his peers .. excellent and smooth skating technique although doesn't have the greatest speed on straight line .. has good patience on scoring situations, waiting for the goalie to make the first move .. always looks for a passing opportunity before a shot .. showed good clutch performance and leadership skills, scoring and setting up goals in crucial moments .. dependable two-way player, coming back home to defend and playing a lot in shorthanded situations .. hasn't had a productive season, but still possesses the skills.

Niko Hovinen (2006), G, Jokerit

A tall goalie and an imposing figure in the crease .. can make the basic saves without much of an effort, but must remain focused at all times .. can let in some unnecessary goals at times .. seems to have trouble getting in front of some small-angle shots .. seems to have usually good leg speed .. sometimes has problems with his height and the control of his arms .. overall could have had a better year development wise.

Joonas Kemppainen (2006), C, Assat

Big forward plays mostly as a center, but has been used on the wing too .. uses his size well to protect the puck and can stickhandle nicely when given space .. needs to drive to the net even more strongly .. gives accurate passes and can setup his linemates, but could be more productive playing a little bolder .. isn't the fastest skater, but skating and leg strength are not problems for him .. has far better strength than most of his peers in Finland, but needs to work on that too unless he can improve his other attributes.

Eetu Heikkinen (2006), D, Assat

Solid all-round defenseman .. still doesn't shine in any particular aspect of the game .. can handle the puck enough not to panic in most situations .. would support the offense more with faster outlet passes .. is utilized in both PK an PP, though isn't very creative on the offensive end .. at his best while covering a man in defensive zone .. dependable, but may lack high potential .. has not been able to build on his strong performance early in the season.

Antti Makila (2007), F, Assat

A prospective forward to keep an eye on for 2007 draft .. caught the eye showing some very nice puck handling skills, going end to end and deking several opponents .. has average frame that needs still a lot of bulking .. has enough speed and skating ability to allow him to use his puck skills .. seems to be an offensive forward, but the question is whether he can contribute or just look good on the ice.

Jesse Jyrkkio (2007), D, Assat

Light footed defenseman who participates in the offensive game .. skates smoothly with his head up and sees the ice well .. gives good, unexpected outlet passes .. needs more seasoning on his defensive game, especially when without the puck or not playing against the puckcarrier .. likes to try to play physical, but still needs lots more strength both on lower and upper body ... an interesting prospect with "rink smarts" and competitive nature.