EUROPE [Feb-06]: Nordqvist En Route To Chicago

SEL News and Notes (posted 2.25.06)

by Jante Abrahamsson

Controversial Swedish Junior Suspended

Skelleftea's young center/winger Thomas Larsson is one of the most interesting Swedes eligible for this summer's draft, but the sometimes cocky and hot headed Larsson, does not lack for controversy surrounding his name. Prior to the February break for international play in the Swedish junior league, Larsson's Skelleftea lost against Almtuna. A defeat Larsson blamed on the referee and seeked him out for a conversation on his way to the dressing room after the final whistle.

"I was so impressed with his performance that I asked him for an autograph after the game", a sarcastic Larsson afterwards told local papers.

The referee however, had another point of view of what was being said by Larsson, which resulted in the young forward receiving a suspension from the Swedish Hockey Association for the U18's tournament he was selected to participate in the following week. Thomas Larsson now has 214 PIM in only 32 junior league games, including four game misconducts.

Nordquist En Route To Chicago?

In the SEL, Lulea centre Jonas Nordqvist is once again having a very strong season and is finally starting to get some recognition for his efforts. Nordqvist, currently ranked 6th in the SEL scoring with 19 goals and 21 assists in 42 games, is a second round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2000 draft and the club needs to sign the Swede this summer to retain his rights, due to the new CBA.

"Nordqvist is one of the Euro prospects we need to make a decision on this summer and he is likely to receive an offer", the Blackhawks' European scout Sakari Pietela, a former Lulea coach, confirmed.

The Blackhawks', who are in obvious need of offensive talent, are likely to attempt to sign at least one or two of Jonas Nordqvist and the Finnish SM-liiga duo of Jari Vihukola and Petri Kontiola this summer. All of them playmaking centers with a similar type of style.

Timra's Regin-omics

The 2004 Ottawa Senators' draftee Peter Regin, showed signs of finally coming into his own in the SEL between the dawn of the new year and the Olympic break. The 19-year old Danish centre struggled with the transition from the far less competitive Danish league to SEL for most of the fall and was often used as a winger on the struggling Timra's fourth line – hardly an environment where a young playmaker could flourish.

All of this changed in early January, when Timra at the apparent risk of missing the playoffs, went on a spending spree on the European player market. They ended up finding Marko Jantunen, a creative Finnish winger a longtime top performer in the Swedish and Finnish leagues, and also the Czech sniper Pavel Rosa from Dynamo Moscow and with a history in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings.

Lacking proven talent in the middle, Timra opted to give Regin the chance to centre the both new wingers, giving the club what its desperately been lacking for the whole season – a true top line capable of winning games on their own for the team. Although the line hasn't clicked on all cylinders yet, it has shown enough flashes of brilliance to keep Timra in the playoff race with four regular season games to go after the Olympics.

For Regin, the chance to play with Rosa and Jantunen, has improved all aspects of his game and his name is suddenly starting to be mentioned with respect throughout the league, after being a teenaged nobody to most people two months ago.

Backlund Swedish Overdrive (posted 2.21.06)

by Jante Abrahamsson

Scouting notes on coveted Swedish prospect Mikael Backlund, a potential Top 5 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft

Mikael Backlund (2007), C, Vasteras (Swe)

Scored his first goal in the Swedish 2nd league with Vasteras in the fall and has arguably been the club's best offensive player in the junior league .. not a smallish player, but we will need to bulk up considerably in the future .. a quick and very smooth skater, fluid in all directions .. even though he lacks an elite punch to his top speed, this does not hurt his game at all .. very confident with the puck and an excellent stickhandler who can turn a defense inside-out with his dekes .. a smart, patient playmaker with very good vision .. definitely more of a set-up man than a finisher, despite having above-average finishing skills and a decent wrist shot .. great hockey sense, which also makes him an asset in his own end as he can be used in all situations on the ice .. doesn't shy away from physical play, despite playing against older competition, though doesn't actively seek out physical confrontations either .. wins a good share of the battles though, at least in the junior league.

HC Sparta Praha Jr Prospect Reports (posted 2.18.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Michal Neuvirth (2006), G

Scouting: a quick goaltender who plays more of a butterfly style .. shows above-average skating skills .. is quick when moving side-to-side .. fast to recover after dropping to a butterfly .. decent footspeed .. solid lateral movement .. possesses above-average athleticism and reflexes .. unpredictable for shooters .. uses his quickness to close possible gaps in his stance .. solid anticipation of plays and maturity .. uses his pads well .. strong down low .. solid resilience and athleticism .. doesn't flop around too much but still should further upgrade on his fundamentals .. uses a fast glove hand .. solid on the blocker side .. tends to play too deep in the net which makes him strong against rebounds, but more vulnerable to get beaten on the initial shot .. solid orientation in the crease .. could upgrade on playing the angles .. decent stickhandling skills .. willing to go behind the net to move the puck .. the top Czech 2006 eligible netminder and a legitimate NHL prospect.

Matej Cunik (2006), D

Scouting: a decent skater but a middle-sized defenseman still could use better wheels ..adequate acceleration and lateral movement .. adequate first-step quickness .. quick turns and adequate speed both straightaway and backwards .. would be faster if he would loose some weight .. an above-average offensive flair .. solid puckhandling skills .. supports the offense well with his strong passing skills .. adequate timing of his passes .. can make plays from both sides of the stick .. a solid asset to the powerplay units but still could use more vision to quarterback them more effectively .. solid shot from the point with a decent accuracy .. solid snap shot .. suffers from the odd positional lapse and is average in the defensive zone coverage .. needs to work harder down low and clear the crease with a bigger determination .. doesn't play afraid, but isn't much of a physical force .. an '87 born .. not worth selecting in the draft.

Jan Kanov, D (2006), D

Scouting: a decent skater who uses a short choppy stride and shows a solid speed both straightaway and backwards .. could upgrade on his agility and lateral movement .. decent lower-body strength and balance .. usually stays back in a more defensive-minded role .. plays a safe game positionally and is willing to punish the opposing players .. is smallish by NHL prospect standards but shows his mean streak and throws solid hits .. isn't afraid of clearing the crease and takes his man out of the play .. creativity and offensive upside is a weak point of him .. doesn't have an overly good vision and overlooks the possible passing lanes .. an average puckhandler who doesn't impress with his hand-eye coordination .. needs to work on the accuracy of his passes .. passes the puck to the nearby teammate .. tends to use his snap shot over his slap shot and his shots have to be more harder and accurate .. an '87 born .. isn't a prospect worth selecting in the draft.

David Jobb, D (2006), D

Scouting: a decent skater with an okay straightaway speed and also speed backwards .. possesses an adequate lateral movement and balance .. shows an adequate agility and isn't easy to outskate .. isn't rushing forward very often, he plays more of a defensive role .. is reliable in his own end .. regularly takes his man out of the play and making a low number of positional mistakes .. doesn't make panic decisions with the puck .. mostly chooses the most safe way and passes the puck to the nearest teammate instead of looking for a long passing lane .. an adequate stickhandler .. short passes are of good accuracy .. doesn't make long outlet passes often .. even if he is an undersized defenseman he isn't afraid of using his body along the boards and throws the occasional hit .. needs to unleash his shot from the point more often .. fires an average shot and should upgrade on accuracy .. needs to bulk up and get stronger in order to avoid getting outmuscled by bigger opponents .. a Hungarian citizen .. not NHL material.

Otakar Prochazka (2007), D

Scouting: won't jump at you with his skating .. a bit heavy-footed .. should improve on his acceleration .. lacks a separation gear .. possesses a decent lateral movement and turns to go along with solid balance .. a defensive defenseman who plays a safe game in his own end and takes a minimum of possible risks .. adequate positional play .. works hard down low and takes his man out of the play .. doesn't panic with the puck but creativity and offensive flair is an issue .. doesn't look for long passing lanes and passes the puck to the nearby teammate in most cases .. an adequate stickhandler .. even if doesn't make many dekes, his hands aren't really holding him down .. fires a decent hard shot from the point, but needs to upgrade on accuracy and fire it more often .. possesses decent aggressiveness and is willing to mix things up along the boards, but only on occasions .. a right-shooting defenseman .. a late '88 born defenseman .. not worth selecting in the draft.

Karel Ton (2006), C

Scouting: a decent skater with solid agility and acceleration .. needs to show a better footspeed and coordination as he quits moving his feet during several plays .. still should improve on his top-end speed .. adequate stickhandling skills .. more of playmaker than scorer .. capable of making decent passes .. possesses adequate finishing skills, but uses primarily his wrist shot .. slap shot lacks accuracy .. needs to display a bigger persistence around the goal area .. should be more patient once on a scoring chance .. shows a commitment to the defensive play, but still needs to mark his man more quickly .. average defensive positioning .. isn't a soft player as he gets involved in traffic regularly, mostly when digging for the pucks in the corners but isn't a significant physical force also due to his size .. attitude problems hurt his development .. an '87 born .. won't be drafted by a NHL team.

Jakub Kratzer (2006), LW

Scouting: a solid skater with a fluid stride .. solid agility and first-step acceleration .. can outskate the opposition with his footspeed .. average balance, gets knocked off his skates too often .. okay stickhandling skills, but doesn't make nifty puck moves in traffic .. can go end-to-end but should to drive the net harder .. occasionally tends to wander on the perimeter or end up in the corner .. isn't afraid of executing along the boards, but is a sub-par hitter at this point .. needs to bulk up .. looses balance when trying to play a physical style .. a decent accurate passer, but keeps his passes to a close distance and doesn't make long feeds .. needs to fire the pucks more often .. adequate wrist and snap shot which he can unleash quickly and surprise the goaltenders .. slap shot needs to be more harder .. returns to his own end, but is raw in his defensive awareness .. should mark his man more quickly .. an '87 born .. not NHL material.

Tomas Hertl (2006), RW

Scouting: a solid skater with explosive bursts of speed .. accelerates well and is blessed with a good agility .. needs to work his on balance as he is light on his feet .. above-average top-end speed .. needs to learn how to make use of his speed effectively .. even if he is quite fast, he has trouble with getting into scoring chances and wanders on the periphery often .. doesn't run opponents over on the way to the scoring chance .. a decent puckhandler .. fires a solid hard accurate slap shot, he only needs to unleash it more often .. above-average snap shot .. an average passer .. could use a better portion of vision and awareness of his linemates .. is very inconsistent in his aggressiveness and traffic awareness .. needs to work on his sub-par defensive awareness .. isn't a significant factor in his own end and doesn't mark his man quickly enough .. average defensive positioning .. a late '87 born player .. one of the best prospects on the team but not a legitimate NHL prospect.

Pavel Mrna (2006), LW

Scouting: an okay skater with an extra gear .. takes advantage of his acceleration and a strong agility .. likes to sneak past opposing defenders with his bursts of speed .. tends to slow down when making his moves with the puck .. average lower-body strength .. gets knocked off his feet very easily .. crafty stickhandling skills .. a solid force in one-on-one situations with his moves .. avoids takeaways with a quick move .. adequate variety of shots .. fires a quick and accurate wrist .. average slap shot needs to be harder .. further developing of his defensive awareness is essential as his intensity in his own end and off the puck tends to take a dive .. needs to mark his man more quickly and upgrade on his defensive positioning .. important for him is to add more muscle mass to his frame and get stronger to handle traffic more effectively .. avoids heavy traffic .. can be pushed out of the scoring lanes by stronger opponents .. not an NHL prospect.

Martin Kupec (2006), LW

Scouting: 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 .. could upgrade on top-end speed .. can maneuver with the puck relatively well thanks to his good stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination but looses possession in traffic .. utilizes on his propulsion .. doesn't crash the net hard .. unleashes a fast accurate wrist shot, but his slap shot needs to be more hard .. is used on power plays as a defenseman .. shows decent passing skills and is adept at finding his linemates with a fast accurate pass .. isn't a physical force and gets outmuscled in the corner battles .. can't outpower the bigger opponents .. 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 .. built for the European game.

Vilem Burian (2006), RW

Scouting: a gangly forward .. an average skater .. keeps his feet moving but doesn't impress with his acceleration and stride effectiveness .. adequate agility on his skates .. lacks high top-end speed which limits his effectiveness on breakaways .. adequate stickhandling skills, but isn't impressive with the puck in tight space .. should cover the puck better .. needs to improve on his dealing with difficult passes .. should fire the pucks more often as he prefers passing to shooting .. okay passing accuracy .. average variety of shots, the quickly released snap shot is the most impressive one .. all shots should be more accurate .. a decent defensive awareness .. returns to his own end in time and blocks the passing lanes .. plays in his own end in position .. needs to fully grow into his lanky frame .. doesn't take off-shifts and plays with an above-average determination .. doesn't play a tough style and should make a bigger use of his frame .. out of NHL draft consideration.

Lukas Rybecky (2006), C

Scouting: a smallish centerman .. takes advantage of his above-average bursts of speed .. keeps his feet moving and displays a solid agility on his skates .. an okay stride .. needs to upgrade on balance and lower-body strength .. smooth in puck pursuit .. can succeed in one-on-one situations with his moves .. very offensively minded .. decent passing ability .. okay accuracy of his feeds .. avoids battling traffic .. decent in-close finishing skills .. likes to deke goaltenders .. uses primarily his fast-released wrist shot or a solid accurate snap shot .. slap shot needs to be harder and more accurate .. 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 outpowered by bigger opponents .. plays a finesse style and avoids physical contact for most of the time .. not a player who would give his best to the success of the team .. not NHL prospect.

Radek Meidl (2007), C/RW

Scouting: a solid skater with okay footspeed .. solid acceleration .. above-average agility .. okay top-end speed .. decent lower-body strength .. okay stickhandling skills .. corals passes decently.. looks for passing opportunities but his vision is an issue .. average hockey sense .. can find the open man when passing on a short distance but isn't very effective when passing on a long distance .. decent aggressiveness despite average size .. a decent hitter along the boards who doesn't back down from battling bigger opponents .. drives the net hard .. needs to gain more bulk .. solid in-close finishing skills .. should be 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 .. a late '88 born forward .. a fringe NHL prospect.

2005 Finnish Draft Review (posted 2.13.06)

by Mikko Vuori

A look at how the Finnish NHL draftees from '05 are faring this season

Player (NHL Team), Selected Round-Overall

Tuukka Rask (Tor) , 1-21

Rask started the season battling Juha Pitkämäki for the starter position. The battle is still going on, but Rask established himself as a very good prospect at the World Junior Championships, where he performed well under the heavy workload. While playing on the smaller ice surface revealed some areas needing improvement, mainly rebound control, Rask showed that he was a deserving first round pick and still on the right track towards the NHL rinks.

Perttu Lindgren (Dal), 3-75

Lindgren's development curve has been on the rise for some time and his play this season in the SM-liiga has followed the trend. Lindgren is second among Ilves forwards with 25 points despite missing five games during the World Juniors, to lead all rookies in the league. Though impressive in SM-liiga, his performance at the World Juniors left viewers asking for more. Lindgren never found great chemistry with his linemates and collected most of his points against weaker opponents. Still, Lindgren has showed very nice skills and creativity throughout the season.

Teemu Laakso (Nsh), 3-78

Laakso was seeing very limited icetime during the first half of the season in the SM-liiga, but turned things around with a strong performance in the World Juniors and a much increase role in IFK after some injuries to other defensemen. Laakso has good maturity and a solid all-round game, and he seemed to gain more confidence in his physical game after the World Juniors. He still needs to develop a better offensive game and add more strength and experience.

Mikko Lehtonen (Bos), 3-83

Lehtonen began the season with very good showings for the Blues' SM-liiga team, where he scored three goals in the first seven games and provided a good spark overall. However, as the campaign progressed, Lehtonen's performance wasn't the same, and he eventually found himself playing for the juniors again. Lehtonen was an extra forward for Finland in the WJCs. The talented winger has good size, speed and skills, but lacks consistency and isn't yet a very well-rounded player on the ice, which is why the coaches aren't that keen on using him on the high level yet.

Janne Kolehmainen (Ott), 4-115

Big winger was drafted early in 2005 after failing to opt-in in his first year of eligibility in 2004. Kolehmainen is a powerful checker and two-way player who is utilized in that role in SaiPa and also on the Finnish Junior national team. So far, he hasn't shown much in the way of offensive ability, which would be essential for him to get nearer to the NHL level. Nevertheless, Kolehmainen will probably try to work his way up in North America at some point.

Tommi Leinonen (Pit), 4-125

Leinonen has played most of the season with Kärpät Juniors, leading the league in plus-minus, and also earning a callup to the SM-liiga. He also represented Finland at the recent U20 WJC's, where he demonstrated very good skating skills with a high top speed, but also showed why he wasn't selected even higher in the draft, namely that his physical game and one-on-one play still needs a lot of work. Leinonen has time to mature and develop his game and is fortunately blessed with good tools to work with.

Risto Korhonen (Car), 5-159

It's been a wasted year of development so far for Korhonen. The big defenseman moved from Oulu to play for HPK, but failed to secure a spot in the top six before facing injury problems that lasted until the World Juniors. Korhonen suited up for Finland in Vancouver, but was used sparingly because of the few games he had played during the season. As a big man with work to do with his skating, Korhonen would need a healthy season to get his game together and on the right development track.

Juho Mielonen (Det), 6-175

Mielonen started the season well enough, even playing mostly in the SM-liiga. He was considered to be the best defenseman for Finland at the U20 tournament in Tampere earlier this season, but was forced out of the World Junior team after suffering a shoulder injury. Mielonen had shown clear improvement in both his skating and puck skills prior to the injury setback. This must rate as a very positive season, especially if he can pick up where he left off.

HC Vitkovice Jr Prospect Reports (posted 2.12.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Radim Vasicek, G (2006)

Scouting: a middle-sized goaltender .. displays solid reflexes .. shows good athleticism and dexterity which enable him to have a solid control of the rebounds .. should upgrade on his anticipation of plays as he tends to be speculative at times .. adequate using of pads, but a better footspeed would make him more effective .. possesses an adequate glove hand and plays a safe game with the puck .. doesn't make risky passes and focuses on stopping the puck and passing it to the nearby teammate .. tends to let the odd soft goal in through his five-hole .. displays some trouble with orientating in heavy traffic in front of him .. decent at playing his angles .. solid focus during games, but should be more resistant to heavy pressure .. won't impress with his stickhandling skills .. an '87 born .. doesn't have the tools of a future NHL goaltender.

Patrik Prokop, D (2006)

Scouting: a solid skater .. swift change of pace and a good lateral movement .. adequate bursts of speed .. needs to upgrade on balance .. excellent stickhandling skills .. adept at moving the puck smartly and distributing it to the forwards .. a decent passer with a solid vision .. good awareness of his linemates .. adequate shooting skills, but has to work on firing harder .. should unleash his slapper more often .. a good asset to both powerplay and penalty killing units .. sound positionally, takes a low number of speculative decisions .. willing to get involved physically, but bulking up and adding more strength is essential for him .. can't handle the sized opponents effectively at this point .. relies more on smarts than on toughness .. consistency is a serious issue .. when off his game can be a complete non-factor .. a fringe NHL prospect.

Adam Falter, D (2006)

Scouting: a lanky defenseman with a gangly stride .. possesses only sub-par skating skills .. his stride is too short and not very effective .. average change of pace .. slower on his turns .. decent lower-body strength and balance .. average acceleration .. needs to upgrade on his top-end speed .. uses a long stick to pinch the pucks away from the opponent .. adequate passing skills .. distributes the puck only on a short distance .. prone to the odd mistake when moving the puck .. doesn't have the needed offensive vision to recognize long passing lanes .. dependable in his own end, but lack of mobility limits him against faster opponents .. possesses a massive wingspan and reach .. fires a hard shot from the point but accuracy is an issue .. fits the mold of a friendly giant .. doesn't use his size to his advantage effectively .. should clear the crease with a bigger determination .. doesn't have pro potential past his size.

Ondrej Mekys, D (2006)

Scouting: a diminutive defenseman .. a decent skater, but a smallish defenseman could use better wheels .. should upgrade on his acceleration and first-step quickness .. adequate top-end speed and agility .. okay lateral movement .. needs to upgrade on balance .. average in his positional play .. tends to fall back behind the play sometimes .. decent stickhandling skills .. not a two-way force, but shows offensive flair .. doesn't make long outlet passes .. limits his offensive support to passing the puck to the teammate nearby him .. can get outmuscled by bigger opponents .. plays with a decent edge along the boards and in the slot but should do so on a regular basis .. unleashes a hard shot from the point but keeps it hidden for too long periods of time .. a limited factor on the powerplay units .. prone to erratic decisions under pressure .. average hockey sense .. isn't worth selecting in the draft.

Michal Palik, D (2006)

Scouting: an adequate skater who won't jump at you with his mobility .. uses a decent stride and shows above-average acceleration and straightaway speed .. adequate balance on his skates .. needs to improve on his agility and lateral movement .. slower on his turns .. average stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. erratic passer, needs to upgrade on the accuracy of the outlet pass .. prone to the odd mistake when moving the puck .. average vision .. unleashes a solid blast from the point, but accuracy is an issue .. a good defensive force when he keeps things simple .. decent positional play .. a decent hitter along the boards who is willing to punish the opposing players .. solid at clearing the crease, but inconsistent in this asset .. an '87 born .. won't be selected in the draft.

Patrik Flasar, D (2006)

Scouting: an undersized defenseman .. blessed with solid skating skills .. possesses a decent acceleration and agility to go along with solid straightaway speed and balance .. could use a bigger speed when skating backwards .. adequate turns .. isn't a total liability when it comes to handle the puck .. needs to improve on the accuracy of his passing skills .. even if he keeps his head up, he needs to develop a better hand-eye coordination and find his teammate with an accurate pass more often .. confident in his abilities but prone to erratic decisions under pressure .. adequate powerplay quarterback .. fires an adequate shot from the point with decent hardness, but keeps it mostly hidden during the game .. doesn't make many positional mistakes and can stay with his man in his own end .. doesn't play afraid and throws the occasional hit, but isn't a feared physical force or a tenacious crease-clearer .. adding more muscle to his frame is a glaring need .. can get outmuscled by the bigger opponents, who cause him problems .. a right-shooting defenseman .. an '87 born .. won't be selected in the draft.

Tomas Kana, C (2006)

Scouting: a solid skater with adequate bursts of speed and footspeed .. strong lower-body and balance .. displays a solid stride .. not afraid to finish the checks .. a tenacious forechecker who doesn't tend to take an odd shift off .. battles for the pucks a lot and is willing to play in traffic regularly, but his smallish size is a disadvantage for him .. a decent stickhandler, but needs to further upgrade on dealing with difficult passes .. an accurate passer on a short distance, but needs to develop smoother in-close finishing skills .. possesses a solid variety of shots .. hard slap shot needs to be more accurate .. shows a solid commitment to the defensive play .. stays with his man, but should further improve in this asset, especially in his positioning in the defensive zone .. is blessed with a good work ethic .. a late '87 born player .. a grinding prospect is worth watching as a solid NHL talent.

Michal Velecky, C (2006)

Scouting: an above-average skater with good acceleration and footspeed .. possesses a solid agility, but is still needs to upgrade on balance and absorb the checks better .. could use a bigger top-end speed .. blessed with adequate puckhandling skills .. shows some trouble with his positioning as he tends to float on periphery during numerous shifts .. a solid passer with a decent awareness of his linemates .. hardly battles his way into a scoring chance .. fires a quick wrist shot .. his slap shot needs to be improved in terms of accuracy .. willing to battle for the pucks along the boards, but gets outmuscled .. not a significant force in heavy traffic .. needs to upgrade on his average defensive play .. a smallish player who can be outpowered by bigger opponents .. a late '87 born forward .. doesn't look like NHL material.

Michal Novak, LW (2006)

Scouting: an above-average skater with a solid footspeed .. displays a good acceleration .. solid agility on his skates .. doesn't impress with his balance and his smallish frame enables the opponents to knock him off his feet .. slick stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. average vision .. should make more accurate passes .. adequate variety of shots .. a quick release on his accurate wrist shot .. average slap shot needs to be harder and more accurate .. returns back to defense, but needs to mark his man more quickly and upgrade on his defensive positioning .. important for him is to add more muscle mass to his frame and get stronger to handle traffic more effectively to overcome the lack of size .. can be pushed out of the scoring lanes by bigger opponents .. willing to finish the checks, but is inconsistent in this asset and not a good hitter .. a late '86 born .. not NHL material.

Jan Kolarik, LW (2007)

Scouting: an adequate skater with an okay and balance .. displays a solid lower-body strength .. needs to further work on his agility .. his gangly stride doesn't enable him to reach more than average top-end speed .. average acceleration and first-step quickness .. possesses decent stickhandling skills .. isn't a beautiful dangler but can corral the difficult passes adequately well .. average vision is limiting his effectiveness as a passer .. a strong finisher .. patient on the scoring chances .. unleashes a quick wrist shot .. fires a heavy snap and slap shot with solid accuracy .. is working hard in all three zones and is willing to do the little things but should crash the net with a bigger determination .. adequate in filling his defensive duties .. cuts back on the backcheck quickly but is inconsistent in this asset .. is willing to execute in traffic and dig for the pucks .. decent toughness .. throws the occasional hit which can surprise the opponent .. a late '88 born forward .. a fringe NHL prospect.

Ondrej Roman, C (2007)

Scouting: a solid skater with a smooth fluid stride .. able to reach top speed quickly .. possesses an above-average agility and acceleration .. should upgrade on lower-body strength and balance .. an above-average stickhandler .. very smooth at corralling a difficult pass using either his stick or skates to gain possession .. boasts a very good vision and hockey sense .. utilizes on his strong playmaking skills .. aware of the positioning of his linemates .. patient with the puck, waiting for plays to unfold and then finding an open linemate .. crisp hard pin-point passes .. a good asset to a scorer .. decent finishing skills but can be occasionally careless .. likes to deke goalies in-close .. hard accurate snap shot .. should use his slap shot to a bigger extent .. decent defensive awareness .. marks his man quickly and stays with him .. not overly aggressive, relies on smarts more than on toughness .. should improve on his traffic play .. an '89 born forward .. a quality NHL prospect.

Branislav Rehus, C (2007)

Scouting: a decent skater .. uses a short quick stride .. okay agility .. adequate first-step quickness .. could use further upgrading on his explosiveness and top-end speed .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. a solid stickhandler who uses both sides of the stick blade .. capable of a surprising move .. above-average passing accuracy .. could deal with difficult passes more effortlessly .. decent hand-eye coordination .. could make better puck moves when pressed in heavy traffic .. okay patience with the puck .. decent vision and hockey sense .. adequate in-close finishing skills .. fires a hard accurate snap shot .. slap shot of adequate accuracy could be upgraded in terms of hardness .. willing to return to defense, but is still raw in his defensive awareness .. should mark his man more quickly .. can be sneaky in traffic .. doesn't shy away from traffic and is willing to get dirty when the play gets physical .. regularly performs in traffic .. capable of laying hard hits on the opponents but still should get stronger .. a late '88 born forward .. shows pro potential.

Jan Kana, LW (2008)

Scouting: a smallish wrecking pinball .. a solid skater with okay acceleration and top-end speed .. looks flashy and quick .. solid change of pace and explosiveness .. sharp turns .. possesses above-average lower-body strength and balance .. tough to get knocked off the puck .. good stickhandling skills .. an adequate playmaker with a decent vision and awareness of his linemates .. shoots and passes equally well .. still prone to some boneheaded plays when trying to be over-creative with the puck .. very confident in his finishing skills .. possesses an okay variety of shots .. likes to let his hard slap shot go .. could use more hockey sense in his play, but particularly makes up for his drawback with his competitiveness and a fearless approach .. plays way bigger than his size and often hammers opponents along the boards .. willing to fight .. digs for the loose pucks in the corners .. shows a commitment to the defensive play but hampered by occasional downs .. blocks the passing lanes of the opposition fairly well .. fast at marking his man .. an active force on the penalty killing units .. a belligerent player but prone to inconsistent shifts .. shoots right .. a '90 born forward .. shows pro potential.

Meet Tomas Vincour (2009) (posted 2.6.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Born November, 19th, 1990, Tomas Vincour is very likely to carry the label of the top 2009-eligible Czech prospect. With the 1991 birth year looking more and more like a wasteland, he possesses the tools to develop into one of the few bright spots of an as yet unimpressive Czech draft crop in four years time. At this stage of the development process, the only player who could give him a run for his money is swift-skating, smallish defenseman from Vsetin juniors, Matej Stritesky, who is, not unlike Vincour, a late 1990-born skater. But with Vincour's size and overall talent level, Stritesky is going to have an extremely tough task if he wants to unseat him as king of the Czech draft crop.

Vincour proved his dominance at the midget level well enough for the Kometa Brno junior coaches to invite him to their 2005 summer camp. The Kometa Brno team, hampered by the departures of key players and a lack of depth at all positions with the exception of goaltender, had no other solution than to trust the abilities of the precocious center. But after just a few weeks of junior Extraleague play Vincour had made further progress in his skating ability to the point he kept up with the play and his smooth hands and clever head provided the rest. First deployed as the second line center, Vincour was promoted to first line duty as a left winger alongside his brother-in-law, Martin Zabransky and overager Roman Bartak.

Debuts at 14

In late November came the biggest honor of Vincour's young career as he was promoted to the Kometa Brno senior team and celebrated his debut in the Div I senior league after sitting out two games as a healthy scratch. With this promotion he entered the record books as the first skater to play in the Czech senior league as a 14-year old. From early December, Vincour, now 15, was getting a regular shift at the second highest Czech senior level and learning valuable lessons from seasoned veterans. This helps him to become an even bigger factor on the junior team, where he is already counted on as one of the leaders.

The right-shooting Vincour was considered a lock to make the Czech Under-16 team before the summer selection camp started. He wasn't a total rookie to international competition, thanks to three games he played in a series against the Slovak Under-16 team with the Czech 1989s in April 2005. After scoring his first international goal there, Vincour became one of the cornerstones of the team, where he has played until now.

What the scouts say

But don't consider him a perfect player because like any young prospect, Vincour shows areas of concern aside from his undisputed pro potential. Despite making noticeable progress during the previous two seasons, his skating still hasn't caught up to his smooth puckhandling skills and above average hockey sense. The success of his pro career basically depends on the progress of his propulsion. He needs to develop more explosiveness and upgrade on his foot speed and separation gear. Despite firing hard blasts, Vincour should further hone the accuracy of his slap shot. Blessed with above-average leg strength for a kid of his age, Vincour absorps open-ice hits well thanks to his strong balance.

A big and aggressive player, Vincour often initiates physical contact and thrives in heavy traffic. He shows solid defensive awareness and shuts down opposition passing lanes well. His best assets are soft hands and an ability to think the game faster than the opposition. He sets up crafty scoring chances for his wingers and is a powerplay threat. Vincour is dangerous when maneuvering close to the opposing net, boasting strong in-close finishing skills, namely a quick forehand deke. An above-average factor in the faceoff circle, Vincour is solid at taking the draws and is able to win important faceoffs in key game situations.

Career Background

Bloodlines could have predicted Tomas Vincour would play hockey even before he was born. As a member of a traditional hockey family in Brno – the Zabransky clan – his mother is a sister to a longtime Czechoslovak Elite League player and his older brother-in-law, Libor Zabransky, was a fringe NHL defenseman with the St.Louis Blues.

Fresh-faced four year old

Starting in organized hockey at the mere age of four, Vincour leapfrogged two levels at the very beginning of his career and played games with the Kometa Brno 1989-born team to be provided with stiffer competition. As a late 1990-born player he was still eligible to dress for the 1990s or the 1991s, but proved that he could succeed against players one or two years older than him. He developed strong chemistry with Jan Grmela and Jan Vopalka, who are now fringe players with the Czech Under-17 team. Vincour inherited the size of his hockey-playing family, so his strength and a massive wingspan enable him to minimize his biggest drawback, a sluggish skating style.

Ringer gets gold

Vincour's biggest success during his youth days came when he was sent down to help out the 1991-born team when he was in 6th grade. The squad battled its way into the championship tournament of the top four Czech 6th grade teams, played in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. Vincour, an alternate captain of the squad, was instrumental to the subsequent claim of the championship title with his strong two-way play and creativity. It was the first and only time he has stood with a gold medal around his neck.

Vincour returned to the 1991-born team on one more occasion in the 6th grade. The Kometa Brno 6th graders were taking part in an international series against teams from Austria and Hungary and the Czech team, looking for a victory, pulled Vincour from the 8th grade team to receive an important boost. Selected team captain, he was a leading factor as he could both out-power and outsmart the vast majority of opponents. Standing 6'2" and weighing around 180 lbs. after an above-average season for the 7th grade team, he sent a clear message to the coaches of the midget team that he was ready for a tryout in the summer.

Youthful scorer on a tear

The 2004-2005 season started Vincour's career in the midget Extraleague. Promoted from the 9th grade team for the second home game of the regular season, he scored four points during his debut and never looked back. He was reunited with Grmela and Vopalka and found a home at the elite midget level in rapid fashion. He made the much-needed progress in his skating and even if he wasn't among the speedsters on the team, he could handle the pace of most games without significant problems.

Vincour's deft playmaking and a solid finishing touch propelled him to the team scoring lead as he benefited from the lion's share of playing time. Grmela's broken collarbone may have paved his way to the Kometa Brno midgets scoring title, but the achievement wasn't any less respectable as Vincour was by far the youngest of all leading scorers on each of the Czech midget Extraleague teams.

Leafs' Pilar Signs With Sparta Praha (posted 2.4.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

The former Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner Karel Pilar returns to active duty after sitting out the previous nine months due to problems with his heart, which continue to plague him during his career. He signed a deal with the economically strong franchise Sparta Praha and returns to the team which originally tagged him as a player who won't make it to the Extraleague and released him from the system after Pilar graduated from the Sparta junior team. Pilar subsequently found a home in the small town Litvinov and finally broke into the Extralague. Pilar attracted the Maple Leafs scouting staff enough to nab him with their second-round pick in 2001 after a very successful season in the Extraleague, when he claimed the crown of the best goalscorer among defensemen (12 goals). He made the NHL for 90 games till now and at this point is looking to get his career back on the right track with Sparta Praha.

HC Ocelari Trinec Jr Prospect Reports (posted 2.3.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Alexander Hegegy, D (2006)

a solid skater with a good straightaway speed and decent acceleration .. has to further improve on his agility and turns .. possesses a solid offensive flair and can play wing as well .. boasts decent stickhandling skills .. a solid passer, but sometimes careless with the puck, which leads to turnovers .. suffers from the odd positional breakdown .. needs to improve on his play in his own zone and stay with his man all the way .. fires a hard slap shot with average accuracy .. willing to play the body, but needs to show his mean streak all the time .. rushes the puck many times, but sometimes tries to do too much and creates several turnovers .. needs to improve on his reliability and read the plays better so that he will know when to stay back and when to join the rush .. isn't really soft, but uses his body only to a limited extent .. a late '87 born player .. a fringe NHL prospect.

Lukas Danecek, G (2006)

a pint-sized netminder who plays a butterfly style .. doesn't cover much of the net with his smallish stature .. okay skating and movement in the crease .. quick when moving side-to-side .. decent lateral movement .. agile and competitive .. good athleticism and dexterity .. relies on his quickness and reflexes .. possesses a penchant to flop around in the crease, losing position on occasions .. tends to be wild and speculative at times .. solid glove hand .. tough to beat on the initial shot .. could use better orientation in heavy traffic in front of him .. adequate anticipation of plays .. likes to challenge the shooter .. fully involved in the game and a winning nature .. needs to upgrade on his play with the stick .. should develop an outstanding asset to make up for his severe size drawback and upgrade on consistency .. talented but too small for NHL.

Tomas Jurdic, D (2006)

an adequate skater who won't jump at you with his mobility .. uses a decent stride and shows above-average balance .. adequate acceleration and straightaway speed .. average top-end speed .. needs to improve on his agility and lateral movement .. slower on his turns .. decent stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. erratic passer, needs to upgrade on the accuracy of the outlet pass .. prone to the odd mistake when moving the puck .. average vision .. unleashes a solid blast from the point, but accuracy is an issue .. unleashes a quick snap shot .. an average defensive force .. needs to keep things simple .. sub-par positional play .. tends to chase players all the way .. questionable hockey sense .. a decent hitter along the boards who is willing to occasionally punish the opposing players .. determined at clearing the crease, but inconsistent in this asset .. shoots right .. doesn't have pro potential.

David Rangl, D (2006)

an overweight defenseman .. registered progress in his skating during the summer but still should improve on his acceleration and top-end speed .. is too heavy for quick bursts of speed .. adequate change of pace and lateral movement .. above-average balance .. okay lower-body strength .. possesses a solid offensive flair and doesn't hesitate to move the puck .. utilizes on an adequate vision and can run the powerplay but doesn't stand out as a powerplay quarterback .. an accurate passer with solid stickhandling skills .. doesn't fire the pucks very often by using his slap shot .. prefers the snap shot when shooting from the point .. hampered in the traffic battles by his mediocre frame .. doesn't play a physically assertive style and relies on his finesse more than on toughness but doesn't back down from the odd physical contact .. doesn't clear the crease very often and isn't very effective in this asset .. reads the developing plays in his own end quite well which enables him to be adequately effective .. okay defensive stickhandling .. not worth selecting in the draft.

Jaroslav Barton, D (2006)

a decent skater for a big man .. doesn't have an overly smooth stride, but can get to the point where he needs to be quite effectively .. is blessed with adequate agility and possesses a solid balance and lower-body strength .. reliable in his own end and works hard down low .. doesn't make glaring positional mistakes and stays with his man .. is willing to use his size and punishes the opposing players who penetrate into his zone regularly .. fires a solid shot from the point which is tippable, but still can be more accurate .. an adequate puckhandler and he uses his stick well in defensive work .. the weak point in his play is his slower reaction time on developing plays .. misreads plays especially when asked to move the puck .. thanks to this drawback he emerges as a decent but unspectacular passer .. getting stronger is essential for him .. an '87 born .. doesn't have a shot to get drafted.

Ondrej Podesva, D (2006)

an average skater who needs to develop a more effective stride .. possesses a solid balance, but has to work on his turns and lateral movement .. plays a simple and quite effective game in his own end .. more of a skinny defenseman .. big opponents can cause him some trouble .. needs to add more bulk to his frame .. isn't totally soft and throws the occasional hit, but his mean streak remains hidden for long periods of time .. isn't very effective when supporting the offense and doesn't have the needed vision to create plays .. his passing skills need to be improved in accuracy .. keeps his shot from the point hidden and has to learn how to get it through regularly .. a late '86 born defenseman .. won't be selected in the draft.

Lukas Zeliska, C/RW (2006)

blessed with solid skating skills .. takes advantage of his above-average acceleration and solid agility to sneak through opposing defenses .. shows okay top-end speed, but should get stronger in lower body in order to upgrade balance .. possesses okay stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. can maneuver well with the puck in traffic but still should cover it better .. can go end-to-end with the puck .. shoots the puck often, utilizing on his above-average array of shots .. fires a quick accurate wrist shot and a good slap shot with a solid accuracy .. blessed with decent offensive instincts .. a decent passer who is effective on powerplay units .. shows a solid drive on the net but doesn't run the opponents over .. throws the occasional hit and sticks his nose into traffic but consistency is an issue .. when not adequately inspired can be one-dimensional with a sub-par defensive play .. prone to games where refuses to get involved defensively .. slow at marking his man and staying with him .. occasionally tends to float and needs to show a bigger intensity when playing off the puck .. still needs to gain more strength in order to be more effective when facing a physical opponent .. shoots right .. a fringe NHL prospect.

Petr Skatula, LW (2006)

a solid skater with deceptive bursts of speed and quickness .. displays a fluid stride to go along with decent agility and balance.. a tenacious forechecker but doesn't keep the same intensity level all game long .. battles for the pucks along the boards .. is willing to play in traffic regularly, but his smallish size is a disadvantage for him .. doesn't finish the checks very often .. a decent stickhandler, but needs to work on dealing with difficult passes .. an adequate passer .. can find the open man with an accurate pass on a short distance .. should further upgrade on his in-close finishing skills .. possesses a solid variety of shots, but the slap shot needs to be more accurate and a bit harder .. shows a commitment to the defensive play .. needs to upgrade on his positioning in the defensive zone .. an '87 born.

Lukas Petrek, RW (2006)

an above-average skater with good bursts of speed and footspeed .. possesses a solid agility, but is still light on his feet and needs to upgrade on balance .. a diminutive player who can be outpowered by bigger opponents .. a tight forechecker .. is blessed with smooth puckhandling skills .. possesses a strong hand-eye coordination .. on the downside he shows some trouble with his positioning as he tries to be "everywhere" on the ice on occasions .. a solid passer with a decent awareness of his linemates .. fires a quick wrist shot .. his slap shot needs to be improved in terms of accuracy .. is willing to battle for the pucks along the boards, but gets outmuscled and needs to upgrade on his average defensive play .. an '87 born .. doesn't show noticeable NHL upside.

Zbynek Hampl, RW (2006)

a solid skater with an above-average acceleration .. okay agility and first-step quickness .. decent top-end speed and footspeed .. adequate balance and lower-body strength .. smooth puckhandling skills .. willing to go with the puck into traffic .. corrals the difficult passes smoothly .. could upgrade on his reading of plays .. a decent passer who can dish out an accurate pass but doesn't have top-notch hockey sense .. willing to forecheck .. fires an accurate wrist shot with a fast release .. upgraded on hardness and accuracy of the slap shot and uses it more often .. should be more effective on the scoring chances and score more points .. adequate defensive awareness .. returns back to his own end but is still inconsistent in this asset .. a decent performer on both powerplay and penalty killing units but usually not the hardest worker on the ice .. needs to upgrade on his faceoff skills .. doesn't avoid physical contact but isn't physically intimidating .. relies more on finesse than on toughness .. should visit the opposing slot more often .. a fringe NHL prospect.

Tomas Grofek, C (2006)

a sturdy skater with an above-average balance and lower-body strength .. possesses a powerful stride, but could use improvement in his top-end speed and first-step quickness .. lacks the extra gear .. doesn't impress with his agility .. needs to upgrade his puckhandling skills .. doesn't have the softest hands and could make more slick puck moves .. corralling of difficult passes can give him a tough time .. adequate variety of shots .. a good hard snap shot with a fast release .. slap shot should be more accurate .. a combative forward .. often digs for the pucks in the corners .. plays a diligent style .. is willing to show up in traffic despite average size tools .. can crash the net .. a decent hitter who can play bigger than his size but is inconsistent in his willingness to hit .. some filling out for him left to do .. shows an adequate commitment to the defensive duties and fits the mold of a two-way forward .. sees the ice adequately well and is a solid passer .. should become a bigger force on the powerplay units .. his pro potential is too small for draft consideration.

Marek Haas, C (2006)

a smallish forward .. a decent skater with adequate bursts of speed and quickness .. keeps his feet moving .. decent balance on his skates as he can absorb open-ice hits .. needs to further upgrade on his agility and make sharper turns .. possesses adequate stride .. adequate puckhandling skills .. more of a playmaker than a finisher .. can make passes with solid timing, but should upgrade on accuracy .. keeps things simply .. hockey sense and vision don't stand out among his offensive assets .. 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 .. 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 .. average positional play, tries to be "everywhere" .. a solid asset to the penalty killing units .. won't be selected in the draft.

Michal Tosenovjan, RW (2006)

an okay skater with a solid footspeed .. displays an above-average acceleration .. could make sharper turns on his skates .. doesn't impress with his balance and his smallish frame enables the opponents to knock him off his feet .. slick stickhandling skills .. adequate hand-eye coordination .. more of a playmaking forward but hampered by an average vision .. an accurate passer but should make more accurate passes when dishing out a pass through traffic .. adequate variety of shots .. a quick release on his accurate wrist shot .. accurate slap shot needs to be harder .. returns back to his own zone to start the offensive raids from deep .. average defensive awareness .. needs to mark his man more quickly and upgrade on his defensive positioning when performing in the rear end .. tends to float in the defensive end .. needs to get stronger to handle traffic more effectively .. can be pushed out of the scoring lanes by bigger opponents .. occasionally tends to loose temper .. willing to finish the checks, but is inconsistent in this asset and not a good hitter .. not NHL material.

Marek Polak, LW (2006)

an okay skater with good lower-body strength and balance .. possesses a solid agility, but could use a bigger top-end speed .. adequate acceleration and first-step quickness .. okay stickhandling skills .. adequate hand-eye coordination .. can beat an opponent in one-on-one and go with the puck into traffic .. a competitive warrior .. above-average toughness .. hits hard along the boards and mucks in the corners .. willing to battle for the loose pucks in the corners .. unleashes a hard slap shot .. battles traffic effectively .. adequate defensive awareness, but needs to further improve in this asset .. should spot his man more quickly and stay with him all the way .. average defensive positioning .. decent leadership skills .. solid at both powerplay and penalty killing units .. adequate vision and hockey sense, but misreads developing plays at times and is at the wrong place .. prone to odd off-games .. should become more coachable .. returned from the OHL's Sudbury Wolves .. productivity is an issue .. at this point not worth selecting in the draft.