EUROPE: Czech Republic U17

Czech Republic U17 (posted 10.4.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Top performers

Radko Gudas (2008), D

a smallish, stocky defenseman .. a decent skater with a short stride .. okay agility and lateral movement .. decent acceleration but his first-step quickness could use some upgrading .. possesses okay footspeed .. could improve his top-end speed .. adequate turns .. above average balance and lower-body strength .. decent offensive flair .. likes to join the rush and support the offense but doesn't have elite offensive vision .. tends to misread offensive plays which lead to costly mistakes .. does show progress in his patience with the puck .. has the ability to quarterback the powerplay .. a solid factor when he keeps things simple and doesn't try to do too much with the puck .. plays feisty in the opposing slot .. a decent stickhandler but handling difficult passes is an issue .. must improve on long pass accuracy .. has an accurate snapshot with a quick release .. slapshot should be harder .. not a rock in the defensive zone and is prone to falling back behind plays when failing to read them .. should improve his positional play .. takes penalties when trying to make up for positional gaffes .. a solid physical presence despite his size .. hits hard along the boards and is a decent crease-clearer .. tends to lose position when making a hit .. prone to the odd dirty foul .. a right-shooting defenseman.

Tomas Voracek (2008), D

a large defenseman .. an okay skater for a big man .. should further upgrade on the effectiveness of his stride to get quicker .. possesses decent footspeed .. decent first-step quickness .. possesses adequate acceleration .. above average balance and lower-body strength .. agility needs work to help make sharper turns .. not at his best when opponents make him move .. should improve his top-end speed .. more of a defense-minded rearguard but has a steadily progressing offensive flair .. above average strength and aggresiveness .. takes no prisoners along the boards and always looks for opponents to hammer .. an okay crease-clearer .. responsible in his own end but still suffers from an odd glaring positional gaffe when going for the hit .. effective at clearing the puck from the defensive zone .. adequate puckhandling skills .. cannot handle difficult passes effectively .. unleashes a rocket from the point but needs to make it less telegraphed and develop sharper accuracy .. uses screens well when shooting .. fires an accurate snapshot .. useful as a powerplay pointman .. distributes quick and accurate passes over short distances .. should be more patient with the puck .. prone to fuzzy plays with the puck when pressed by an opponent .. must learn to get along with his teammates better.

Ondrej Pekarik (2008), C/LW

an adequate skater for a big man but adding some speed would make him more effective .. average first-step quickness hinders his play .. possesses decent footspeed .. adequate acceleration .. average agility .. solid balance and lower-body strength .. does not get knocked off his skates too often .. could use a better top-end speed .. an above-average puckhandler .. occassionally maneuvers with the puck in tight spaces without losing possession but doesn't use this skill often enough .. can handle a difficult pass .. a decent player in one-on-one situations .. avoids takeaways with quick moves .. a playmaking forward but limited by the occasional selfish play .. once in the offensive zone he looks for an open teammate more often than shooting the puck .. a force when executing from the corners on the powerplay .. solid passing skills and creativity .. aware of his linemates .. patient on scoring chances .. could use a quicker release on his wristshot and slapshot .. passable in-close finishing skills .. blessed with a big body .. often battles in the opposition slot .. throws solid hits along the boards .. returns to help out the defense with regularity .. okay on the penalty kill .. starts offensive raids from deep in his own zone.. adept at shutting down passing lanes but should upgrade defensive positioning .. capable of playing both center and left wing .. average in the faceoff circle.

Tomas Knotek (2008), C

a decent skater .. has a short, quick stride .. okay agility and first-step quickness .. could do to upgrade his top-end speed .. average lower-body strength and balance on his skates .. doesn't keep his feet moving enough which can seriously hamper his effectiveness in fast-paced games .. bigger and physical opponents cause him problems .. a solid stickhandler with above average hand/eye coordination .. uses both sides of his stick very precisely when making or corraling a pass .. could make smoother moves when pressed in heavy traffic .. very patient with the puck .. waits for plays to present themselves and then makes a decision .. a strong passer .. times his passes well and smart with his linemates .. decent in-close finishing skills .. fires a quick wristshot .. moderately accurate slapshot needs to get harder .. willling to return on defense .. smart when blocking passing lanes .. not a player who thrives when pushed around and wanders on the perimeter when the play gets physical .. doesn't lay many hits on opponents and should get stronger .. his plaly in traffic is an issue .. doesn't crash the net and avoids mucking in the corners .. consistency is an issue .. somewhat effective in the faceoff circle.

Jaroslav Hafenrichter (2008), LW

an okay skater with solid bursts of speed and agility .. capable of sharp turns .. possesses good footspeed and first-step quickness .. needs to upgrade balance and lower-body strength .. could upgrade his top-end speed .. maneuvers with the puck relatively .. good stickhandling skills and hand/eye coordination but loses possession in traffic .. hesitant to head into tight spaces with the puck .. utilizes his propulsion ability .. unleashes a fast and accurate wristshot but his slapshot needs to get harder .. has a knack for nifty deflections .. a minor force on the powerplay .. shows decent passing skills .. adept at finding his linemates with long, quick and accurate passes, fooling the opposition .. adequate vision and hockey sense .. not a physical force yet and gets out-muscled in corner battles but does not back down from performing in traffic .. can't overpower bigger opponents and needs to get stronger .. should further upgrade his defensive awareness .. willing to return back to his own end and cover for a a rushing defenseman, but should mark his man quicker and stay with him .. prone to occassional stupid penalties when failing to read defensive plays effectively .. limited by inconsistent performances.

Filip Stoklasa (2009), RW

a decent skater .. possesses an okay stride .. okay acceleration and footspeed .. decent first-step quickness and top-end speed .. above average agility .. possesses solid lower-body strength and balance .. possesses solid puckhandling skills .. likes to make nifty dekes with the puck .. more of a playmaker .. capable of long and accurate passes .. should make quicker decisions in the offensive zone .. adequately aware of his linemates .. possesses a decent portion of vision and hockey sense .. eager to gain possession of the puck .. has made some progress in his array of shots .. mainly uses his quick-release wristshot or hard snapshot .. fires a hard slapshot with decent accuracy .. quickly finds positions to shoot from .. average defensive play .. willing to return back but needs to read plays in his own zone better .. should mark his man faster and upgrade on defensive positioning .. does not yet have the strength to be effective physically but never backs down from contact and plays a gritty style .. throws open-ice hits, the occasional one pretty hard .. gaining strength would enable him to perform in heavy traffic more effectively .. a decent factor on the powerplay .. a late '90 born forward.

Other Players

Jakub Sedlacek (2008), G

plays mostly the butterfly style .. decent reflexes enable him to make up for his lack of size .. okay dexterity and quickness .. a decent skater but should improve his lateral movement in the crease .. needs to focus on upgrading his footspeed .. adequate when moving from side-to-side .. okay resilience and athleticism .. adequate anticipation of developing plays .. doesn't let in soft goals on the initial shot .. trouble with the five-hole .. goes down too early on occasion, leaving the top shelf unguarded .. decent rebound control .. not vulnerable to allowing unnecessary rebounds .. decent when handling traffic in front of him .. tends to flop around in the crease .. should develop better fundamentals and improve on his positional play in the crease .. solid glove hand .. decent in the top half of the net .. steady focus .. communicative with his defensemen .. possesses okay stickhandling skills .. willing to move the puck but is prone to the odd risky pass.

Dominik Bohac (2008), D

a decent skater for a player with above average size .. okay turns and agility .. needs to develop better first-step quickness .. possesses decent acceleration and straightaway speed thanks to strong footspeed .. balance and lower-body strength okay but need work .. lack of elite first step makes him a bit vulnerable in transition .. an offense-minded defenseman .. willing to join the rush often and move the puck .. decent vision and hockey sense .. okay puckhandling skills and hand/eye coordination .. can make space for himself with quick moves .. uses both sides of the stick blade .. smooth and composed .. capable of making long, hard and accurate outlet passes but needs to attempt them on a regular basis .. prone to occassional mistakes when moving the puck .. fires quick shots from the point but needs to keep the puck lower .. can be a powerplay quarterback or a pointman .. rarely prone to slow reactions when at the offensive blue line .. works pretty hard down low and isn't afraid of physical contact .. a decent force along the boards but has to take advantage of his reach when playing in the defensive zone .. decent positional play .. only hitting needs work in regards to positional play .. smart when blocking passing lanes .. acceptable play away from the puck .. breaks up opposing passes with his stick well.

Jakub Kania (2009), D

a smallish defenseman .. a solid skater for a player his size .. okay agility and lateral movement .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. okay first-step and backward speed .. doesn't fall behind the play .. a reliable player in his own zone when he keeps things simple .. stays with his man .. slow reactions despite reading defensive plays adequately .. decent offensive upside but prone to brain cramps when trying to emerge as a regular two-way threat .. when aware of his role he doesn't make glaring positional mistakes .. okay stickhandling skills and hand/eye coordination .. corrals the pucks adequately .. dishes out short, hard and accurate passes but doesn't have the offensive vision to attempt long outlet passes .. willing to let his slapshot go often but accuracy is an issue .. okay defensive stickhandling .. plays with a bit of an edge along the boards .. added bulk has positively influenced his physical awareness .. tends to lose position when going for the hit on occasion .. can be effective along the boards .. inconsistency plagues him .. a late '90 born defenseman.

Milan Doczy (2008), D

a decent skater for a player of his size .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. adequate turns and lateral movement .. decent backward speed .. not a slow skater because of his decent stride but he needs to produce bursts of speed more often .. decent first-step quickness .. should upgrade his top-end speed .. more of a defensive defenseman .. adequate puckhandling skills .. isn't pretty when moving the puck but his hands aren't holding him back too much .. has occasional problems accepting passes on his backhand .. knows when to pinch .. at his best when playing a simple game with the puck .. does not have elite offensive vision .. not very effective on the powerplay .. lacks the hockey sense needed to emerge as a two-way threat but doesn't make mistakes when moving the puck .. unleashes a solid slapshot with average accuracy .. a decent force in his own zone with a big reach .. doesn't make glaring positional mistakes and plays a dependable game in the defensive zone .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. decent strength but still needs to bulk up .. needs to learn how to use size to his advantage more often but can win physical battles in the trenches .. willing to throw a solid hit .. plays with a bit of meanness.

Michal Jordan (2008), D

a smallish defenseman likely to add some inches to his frame due to genetics .. a decent skater .. possesses okay acceleration but could still develop a smoother stride and better top-end speed .. adequate hustle and acceleration .. doesn't get beaten on turns when he needs to move laterally .. average balance and lower-body strength .. gets knocked off his feet by bigger opponents .. decent puckhandling skills .. adept at corraling difficult passes using both sides of his stick .. progressing on the offensive side .. makes accurate short-distance passes .. gains possession of the offensive zone with quick moves .. takes a chance on long outlet passes but needs to work on timing .. fires a quick and accurate snapshot .. slapshot needs to be harder and more accurate .. a force in his own zone with his defensive prowess .. above average positional play in the defensive zone .. a minor factor on the powerplay .. possesses okay vision .. a useful player on the penalty kill .. unwilling to throw hits and considerably reserved physically .. average crease-clearer .. okay defensive instincts and hockey sense .. plays with his head up .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. plays a team-orientated game .. sacrifices his body to block shots .. likely to blossom once he goes through a growth spurt and puts on some weight..

Matej Stritesky (2009), D

a smallish blueliner .. a solid skater with above average straightaway speed and a smooth stride .. okay agility and lateral movement .. doesn't get beaten by speed .. average balance .. must upgrade his lower-body strength .. should keep his feet moving to make proper use of his skating ability .. solid offensive flair .. looks for loose rebounds in the opposing slot .. shows decent smarts when moving the puck .. above average vision and hockey sense .. solid puckhandling skills and hand/eye coordination .. a deft passer who knows how to find the open man .. patient with the puck .. capable of accurate outlet passes even over long distances .. a smart player on the powerplay .. shows enough confidence to make risky plays but can't seem to avoid the odd glaring mistake .. prone to odd careless plays with the puck .. hard shot from the point with above average accuracy . .keep his shot low along the ice .. okay snapshot .. must upgrade his play in his own zone .. sometimes caught out of position but makes up lapses with quickness .. doesn't play afraid but still possesses the body of a child .. will be more effective when he develops physically .. a late '90 born defenseman .. shoots right.

Jan Dalecky (2008), RW

an okay skater with above average acceleration .. possesses decent footspeed .. okay first-step quickness and agility .. decent explosiveness and top-end speed .. could upgrade balance and lower-body strength .. impresses with the odd quick burst of speed but should use his quickness more effectively .. an okay puckhandler .. can move the puck out of tight spaces .. has trouble when heading into traffic with the puck but doesn't back down from doing so .. an adequate force in one-on-one situations .. unleashes a fast and accurate wristshot .. does not use the slapper very often .. semi-accurate snapshot .. anticipates deflections well and sets himself into scoring positions .. could be more lethal when finishing scoring chances in-close .. looks for breakaway opportunities .. shows decent passing skills .. adept at finding his linemates but creativity and hockey sense don't stand out .. should be a little more patient with the puck when pressured by an opponent .. willing to battle in traffic but isn't much of a physical force and gets out-muscled in the corners .. occasionally battles in the slot .. needs to upgrade his defensive awareness .. willing to return back to his own end and show up but should mark his man quicker and stay with him all the way .. average defensive positioning .. prone to the occassional shift off .. a right-shooting forward.

Tomas Vincour (2009), C

an adequate skater for a player his size .. decent agility .. stride of average crispness .. needs to develop more explosiveness, upgrade his footspeed and gain a separational gear .. blessed with above average leg strength for a kid his age .. should keep his feet moving to be more effective .. should play a more active game off the puck in the neutral zone to set himself free for a pass .. absorps open-ice hits well thanks to strong balance .. a big and aggressive player .. often initiates physical contact and thrives in heavy traffic .. has solid defensive awareness and shuts down passing lanes with unusual prowess for a player his age .. his strongest assets are soft hands and an ability to think the game faster than the opposition .. sets up smart scoring chances for his wingers with both sides of his stick .. more of a playmaking forward .. a powerplay threat .. dangerous when maneuvering close to the opposing net as he boasts strong in-close finishing skills, namely a quick forehand deke .. fires hard blasts .. must upgrade the accuracy of his hard slapshot .. an above average factor in the faceoff circle .. solid at taking the draws and able to win important faceoffs in key game situations .. a late '90 born forward .. a right-shooting forward.

Dominik Pacovsky (2008), RW

an above-average skater with a fast change of pace and deceptive quickness .. shows solid agility on his skates .. okay acceleration and a bit of flashiness .. okay top-end speed .. should add more bulk to his lower-body and work on balance .. can split the defense well with bursts of speed .. emerges as a swift puckhandler .. maintains possession in tight spaces because of above average hand/eye coordination .. blessed with decent offensive instincts .. capable of okay tape-to-tape passes but is more of a finisher than a playmaker .. unleashes an accurate wristshot with a quick release .. hard, quick-release snapshot can surprise goaltenders .. often uses a quick-release slapshot .. solid sniper instincts .. anticipates deflections well and sneaks into scoring positions .. plays the point on the powerplay .. decent in-close finishing skills .. willing to return to his own end to help out on defense but needs to pick up his defensive awareness .. average quickness in marking his man .. should improve on defensive positioning .. isn't a significant physical force but not a soft player either .. less effective in heavy traffic .. doesn't dish out hits and relies more on finesse.

Tomas Kubalik (2008), C

should further develop his first-step quickness and acceleration but an okay stride enables him to skate decently .. decent top-end speed .. okay agility and balance .. becomes tough to stop once he gets moving .. decent stickhandling skills .. doesn't make many nifty dekes but his puck skills are at an acceptable level .. covers the puck adequately .. works equally hard in the offensive zone either making a pass or shooting the puck .. can make a quality accurate feed .. possesses a decent array of shots .. fires a quick and hard snapshot with okay accuracy .. slapshot should be more accurate .. solid scoring instincts .. gets himself free and into scoring positions .. a diligent worker in the opposition slot .. screens goalies on the powerplay .. adequate in-close finishing skills .. patient on scoring chances but doesn't maintain the same cool head when pressured .. eager to gain possession of the puck .. average defensive awareness .. doesn't show the same intensity when having to play in his own end .. should mark his man faster .. a solid physical presence .. willing to throw hits and show up in traffic .. makes use of his strong physical tools and intimidates opponents .. looks for rebounds in front of the opposing net .. should further upgrade his faceoff ability .. a right-shooting forward.

Michal Toman (2008), LW

possesses slick skating skills .. blessed with solid footspeed and acceleration .. above average agility and top-end speed .. can outskate defenders but could work on his balance .. tends to get knocked off his skates by bigger opponents .. should use his quickness in a smarter way .. solid skill set .. crafty puckhandler with okay hand/eye coordination .. succeeds in one-on-one situations thanks to elusive stick moves .. could cradle difficult passes a little smoother .. likes to carry the puck but should be more effective once gaining the offensive zone .. okay short-distance passing skills .. could use more hockey sense in his play and spot passing lanes faster .. willing to shoot the puck, using primarily his accurate wristshot .. likes to fire right after a faceoff .. his slapshot needs to get harder .. has a snapshot with okay accuracy .. prone to occasional careless finishing .. isn't very effective in traffic due to his size deficiency .. doesn't play soft and visits the slot but has trouble dealing with bigger opponents .. takes an occasional cheap shots on opponents without backing them up .. needs to improve his defensive play .. doesn't seem overly inspired in his own end and marks his man slowly .. should limit the options of the opponent more conscientiously.

Slovakia U17 (posted 10.2.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Top performers

Marek Ciliak (2008), G

a smallish goaltender .. plays the 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 in the crease .. needs to upgrade his lateral movement .. fast to recover after dropping to the butterfly .. possesses okay footspeed .. doesn't let in many goals down low .. solid resilience and athleticism .. tends to flop around and play a little wild at times .. should upgrade his fundamentals and be more patient with shooters .. decent on the blocker side .. an adequate glove hand .. goes down too early sometimes .. prone to allowing soft goals on high shots .. okay orientation in the crease but should upgrade skills when dealing with rebounds .. confident when going behind the net to play the puck .. decent stickhandling skills .. a little risky when moving the puck .. should upgrade consistency to become more effective .. possesses some 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 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 fairly well and makes passes from both sides of the stick .. exhibits offensive flair .. has offensive vision and very aware of his teammates .. a composed player who doesn't panic under pressure .. reads the plays quickly .. capable of delivering crisp passes .. adequate powerplay quarterback .. decent creativity .. fires a hard and accurate snap shot .. decent slap shot .. not afraid to play physically along the boards and in open ice .. battles for loose pucks and subsequently starts the counterattack with quick passes .. willing to sacrifice his body to block shots .. doesn't make glaring positional mistakes .. spots his man relatively fast .. a right-shooting defenseman.

David Puna (2008), LW

a solid skater .. okay first-step quickness .. possesses good acceleration .. okay agility on his skates .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. low center of gravity allows him to stay on his skates .. okay top-end speed .. tough to control due to his explosiveness .. a decent puckhandler .. can maneuver with the puck in tight spaces without losing possession of the puck .. should use this asset more often .. once in the offensive zone he can score and pass equally well .. aware of his linemates .. decent passing skills and creativity .. makes the odd surprising pass .. returns to his own zone for pucks and starts offensive raids .. okay in one-on-one situations .. has a quick release on his wrist and snap shots .. should fire the slap shot more often .. gets himself into scoring position well .. drives the net fairly hard .. an aggressive forechecker .. belligerent at times in the opposition slot area .. looks for loose rebounds .. a decent hitter along the boards .. exhibits a regular mean streak .. returns to help out the defense but doesn't necessarily stand out in this area .. must upgrade his defensive positioning .. spots his man in a satisfactory manner .. a right-shooting forward.

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 consistent hustle .. can burn the opposing defensemen with his quickness .. solid stickhandling skills and hand/eye coordination .. can dangle the puck in traffic .. quick moves help him to succeed in one-on-one situations .. solid east-west moves on the powerplay .. a decent passer who spots 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 .. quick wristshot .. fires a hard slapshot .. sticks his nose into traffic and plays bigger than his size .. willing to hit 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 check all the way .. still raw in closing the passing lanes of an opponent .. needs to improve his conditioning .. tends to fade in some game's latter stages.

Other Players

Marek Richter (2008), D

a decent skater .. has acceptable acceleration .. decent first-step quickness .. possesses adequate agility .. decent lateral movement .. needs to improve top-end speed .. good balance allows him to stay on his skates .. doesn't show a significant offensive upside and is more effective when playing in a defensive role .. works hard down low but is prone to occassional fuzzy decisions .. should upgrade on his positional reliability .. possesses okay strength but should still bulk up .. decent crease-clearer .. willing to hit opponents .. does not possess the offensive vision to contribute on the attack effectively .. decent stickhandling ability .. corrals passes adequately .. accurate passer over short distances but only average on longer attempts .. needs to take extra time to read plays when distributing the puck, limiting his effectiveness .. average hockey sense .. deployed as a powerplay pointman .. fires a hard shot from the point but needs to learn how to step around opponents to get it through and on the net.

Michal Pichnarcik (2009), D

a lanky and hulking defenseman .. an adequate skater for such a big body but improving 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 to prevent being outskated in transitional play .. leaves significant space between himself and opposing players .. average positional play .. prone to the odd mistake when not reading 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 opposing players more .. doesn't have off-shifts and plays a diligent game .. has good reach and a massive wingspan .. limited passing skills .. plays a low risk game and doesn't support the offense too much .. dishes off the puck rather than look for an open passing lane .. should fire his semi-accurate shot from the point more often .. needs to develop a harder shot .. will need to be patient while developing .. a late '90 born defenseman.

Erik Bednar (2008), D

possesses decent skating skills .. could improve his acceleration and first-step quickness .. decent agility .. okay lateral movement .. acceptable balance .. needs to upgrade top-end speed .. adequate backward skater .. more confidence in his backward skating abilities would help him handle opponents more effectively .. possesses some offensive flair .. rushes the puck often and gains possession of the offensive zone .. needs to improve offensive vision to emerge as an effective powerplay quarterback .. could read the offensive plays a little quicker .. prone to dumping the puck when facing a heavy pressure .. decent stickhandling skills .. has difficulty handling backhand passes .. overlooks long passing lanes but is an okay short-distance passer .. doesn't fire booming slap shots but unleashes a quick and accurate snap shot .. prone to lazy penalties when he doesn't keep his feet moving .. can be a force in crease and corner battles when physically involved .. can make a solid hit but needs to develop a mean streak.

Michal Siska (2008), D

a decent skater .. slow first-step quickness .. needs to work on his acceleration .. decent agility .. better footspeed would make him more effective .. possesses solid balance and lower-body strength .. should upgrade his top-end speed .. an adequate stickhandler who doesn't stand out with the puck .. makes plays from both sides of the stick but average offensive vision hurts his effectiveness .. a somewhat accurate shooter from the point but has to get his attempts through more often .. fires a hard snap shot .. decent powerplay pointman .. works diligently on the offensive blue line and battles in the opposing slot .. occasionally tends to do too much with the puck .. prone to the odd mistake when rushing the puck .. should upgrade on his play in one-on-one situations .. can lay out a solid hit .. plays with a decent edge .. prone to odd positional mistakes when going for the hit .. plays a feisty game but tends to chase opponents instead of staying in position.

Michal Kivader (2008), C

a decent skater for a player of his size .. utilizes 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 improve his balance and lower-body strength .. more of a playmaking forward who prefers passing to shooting .. 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 .. tends to look for a passing lane instead of firing the puck .. would be more effective if he would show keaner sniper instincts .. okay wristshot .. should use his slapshot more often .. should improve his in-close finishing skills .. has above average defensive awareness .. conscientious in returing back .. solid penalty killer .. stays with his man .. willing to muck for 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 thrill you with smooth puckhandling skills but makes moves effectively .. should be smoother 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 .. quick-release slapshot could be harder .. his accurate snapshot could be harder too .. needs to pick up his defensive awareness .. raw defensively and seems unwilling to return back on a regular basis .. waits for 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 mean streak .. should initiate physical contact more often and drive the net harder .. average in traffic .. effective in open ice where he doesn't need to use his body .. should upgrade 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 upgrade 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 .. could cover the puck more effectively .. could make better puck moves when pressed in heavy traffic and be more of a force in one-on-one situations .. somewhat patient puck-possession player .. makes adequately accurate passes .. willing to mix things up in order to gain scoring chances .. fires an accurate wristshot .. decent snapshot .. semi-accurate slapshot must get harder .. okay in-close finishing skills .. drives the net adequately hard .. occasionally willling to return to the defensive zone but still raw in his defensive awareness .. should spot his man a little quicker .. average defensive positioning .. doesn't shy away from traffic but not a player who would initiate physical contact very often .. doesn't lay out too many hits .. should bulk up so he won't be pushed out of scoring lanes easily .. a right-shooting forward.

Mario Potocek (2008), C

just an adequate skater .. needs to upgrade the smoothness of his stride .. possesses acceptable footspeed .. average acceleration and first-step quickness .. needs to develop some top-end speed .. average balance and lower-body strength .. decent stickhandling skills .. needs to corral difficult passes a little more effortlessly .. tends to lose possession of the puck in traffic .. should cover the puck more effectively .. needs to get stronger to be more effective .. average vision and hockey sense .. occasionally unprepared for receiving a pass .. should recognize passing lanes quicker to be a more effective playmaker .. fires a somewhat accurate wristshot .. good snapshot with a quick release .. needs to use his slapshot more frequently and upgrade it's accuracy .. rarely looks for rebounds to score garbage goals .. a two-way forward .. returns back to his own end quickly but defensive smarts aren't prevalent .. spots his man quickly but must improve positioning .. a diligent backchecker .. shows tenacity but doesn't overpower big opponents .. should play a little smarter in scrums to gain possession of the puck .. willing to battle in the trenches .. an average face-off man.

Martin Sloboda (2008), LW

a decent skater but a player of his smallish size should upgrade his wheels .. possesses okay first-step quickness .. okay agility and footspeed .. top-end speed could be upgraded .. should be more explosive .. possesses only adequate lower-body strength and balance .. an okay puckhandler .. not bad when dealing with difficult passes .. should cover the puck more effectively .. decent in one-on-one situations .. mainly a playmaker .. usually quite aware of his linemates .. distributes passes from both sides of his stick but needs to work on accuracy .. okay vision .. distributes accurate passes .. plays with his head up .. fires a quick and accurate wristshot .. can turn and shoot well .. accurate slapshot could be fired more often and needs to get harder .. decent in-close finishing skills .. not a defensive specialist but returns back to help out in his own end .. active penalty killer .. willing to get involved in traffic .. battles for loose pucks in the trenches despite getting overpowered often .. needs to bulk up.

Adam Lapsansky (2008), RW

a smallish forward .. an okay skater with decent acceleration .. possesses decent top-end speed and above average agility .. could use better balance and explosiveness .. possesses okay stickhandling skills .. a decent passer with satisfactory vision and awareness of his linemates .. prefers passing to shooting .. makes passes from both sides of his stick .. a decent passer from the half-boards, especially on the powerplay .. needs to develop a wider variety of shots .. fires an accurate wristshot and a decent snapshot .. average slapshot is not very accurate .. possesses okay in-close finishing skills .. waits for goalies to make the first move and is somewhat patient with the puck .. not a force in traffic but doesn't play afraid either .. rarely mucks it up for loose pucks on the boards .. relies more on finesse than toughness .. shows a commitment to defense when the mood strikes him .. blocks passing lanes with average effectiveness .. must marking his man a little quicker.. uses an active stick on the penalty kill .. adequate intensity and determination .. an okay forechecker.

Valerian Poticny (2008), RW

a smallish forward .. a decent skater .. possesses an okay stride and footspeed .. should further upgrade his top-end speed .. possesses okay agility .. average lower-body strength and balance .. decent puckhandler but hands don't stand in his offensive array .. should make smoother dekes .. tends to lose possession of the puck in traffic .. an offensive forward .. wristshot and slapshot must get harder and more accurate .. decent in one-on-one situations .. has trouble battling to get scoring chances .. has to get more lethal in close .. would be more effective if his hockey sense sharpened .. average creativity .. needs to read plays faster .. tends to misread plays on the powerplay .. not very physically intimidating .. lack of size limits him in traffic .. tends to use his stick instead of his body .. needs to shore up positioning in his own end .. raw at limiting opponent's options .. willing to sacrifice his body to block shots.