Progress Reports: Hanzal Impresses

We will provide a series of mid-season progress reports on Czech draft-eligible prospects starting here with six names in this edition. Among players reviewed are Martin Hanzal, Jakub Vojta and the emerging Petr Kalus.

Martin Hanzal (2005), LW, Ceske Budejovice Jr.

Mid-Season Recap: Sophomore .. playing well but has not been as impressive as at the Under-18 WJ Cup .. playing on the top line with the junior team and practicing with the senior club .. good chemistry alongside David Kuchejda .. made his Div I senior debut on the fourth line .. prone to inconsistent showings .. had two considerable slumps in late October (which affected his play at the U18 in Slovakia) and a minor one in early December .. leads team in scoring (30-21-16-37 as of early February). International Play: Upgraded skating ability in a successful U18 WJ Cup showing .. tired and frequently behind play in Slovakia; not a significant force .. played on the top line in Switzerland (5-Nations) and was one of the better players with the selects team. Progress to Date: Solid .. skates with a smoother stride and makes sharper turns .. upgraded his shooting arsenal and uses his slapper to a greater extent .. better balance and aggressiveness at both ends. Areas of Concern: Improving his consistency, as in levels of energy and giddyup from game-to-game .. needs to upgrade handling backhand passes .. show more obedience to head coach .. add more bulk to his frame. NHL potential: Top Czech draft-eligible prospect with good all-around NHL potential.

Jakub Vojta (2005), D, Sparta Praha Jr.

Mid-Season Recap: Sophomore .. did not mesh well with coach Jaromir Sindel for lackluster attitude and work ethic .. best offensive potential among all rearguards .. unfortunately prone to numerous poor reads and costly defensive mistakes .. levels of interest, emotion often lacking .. underachieving offensive for his standards (no goals, five assists in 28 games as of early February) .. missed ten games thus far (due to fatigue and international play). International Play: Near complete reversal of his play with Sparta .. top Czech d-man at the U-18 Cup in August, though faltered against Canada .. again top Czech blueliner in Slovakia .. one of the top performers in Switzerland. Progress to Date: Average for his standards .. reads the play when his head is in the game .. quarterbacking duties are maturing but not as quickly as expected. Areas of Concern: Needs to play more reliably in his own zone .. acceleration and first-step quickness are areas in need of improvement .. attitude and work ethic are consistent sore points. NHL potential: Unclear .. suspicious off-ice habits .. pure talent due to international play alone .. could be a steal.

Petr Kalus (2005), RW, Vitkovice Jr.

Mid-Season Recap: Sophomore .. missed the opening two weeks of action due to flu .. emerged as an offensive leader in junior .. has developed a reputation for being somewhat dirty; cheap shots and unnecessary penalties abound .. low number of off-games than his peers; regular offensive force .. started practicing with senior team in December .. tends to complain about minor injuries at times and isn't always willing to play or practice through pain. International Play: Got off to a good start at the Under-18 WJ Cup before being a non-factor the rest of the way .. one of the top performers in Slovakia; the best tournament of his career .. did not look out of place skating with Hanzal and Sobotka in Switzerland .. tougher and less dirty on the international stage. Progress to Date: Acceptable .. chippy and competitive .. finishes his checks .. improved his balance on skates .. better scoring instincts around the crease. Areas of Concern: Needs to use his linemates better .. must become more disciplined but keep developing the grit that he shows in spurts. NHL potential: Should get drafted because he can score and win puck battles.

Jan Kolar, D, Pardubice Jr.

Mid-Season Recap: Sophomore.. alternate captain this season .. plays a steady defensive game without many off nights .. many consistent performances but had few showings when he stood out .. hampered by lack of mobility and puck skills. International Play: Played in the three-game series between two U19 Czech Republic teams and was solid .. skated on the second defensive unit alongside Martin Rygl of Liberec and filled the defensive role conscientiously .. third-best rearguard on that team. Progress to Date: Average .. recognizes longer passing lanes and can make a decent outlet pass .. more adept on the offensive blue line .. willing to shoot the puck more than in the past. Areas of Concern: Overall skating .. first step, quickness, agility are all areas that require improvement .. top-end is still lacking .. puck skills, especially handling of passes .. lacks jam physically. NHL potential: His mental approach is good but there are a lot of glaring areas of mediocrity.

Tomas Svoboda (2005), RW, Slavia Praha Jr.

Mid-Season Recap: Sophomore .. adjusting to playing without longtime linemate Vladimir Sobotka .. steady start but had a major slump in late November .. the problem is that he is one-dimensional and invisible in traffic .. injured thumb in late December .. moody and doesn't play his best in practices .. doesn't do the little things. International Play: Skated at the Under-18 WJ Cup in August where he was ok against European opponents and poor against both North American teams .. upgraded his snap shot in the tourney in Slovakia but didn't jell with teammates. Progress to Date: Disappointing .. Sobotka may have made him look good in the past .. shooting skills have improved .. quicker in man-on-man situations. Areas of Concern: Needs to drive the net harder .. show that he can survive traffic .. take less retaliation penalties .. helps his linemates in the corners more .. work on his defensive play. NHL potential: At times intriguing but does not look like a player able to translate junior numbers to senior.

Vaclav Lesak (2005), D, Pardubice Jr.

Mid-Season Recap: Rookie .. showed nice confidence in the opening two months but hit a wall in late October .. weaknesses were exposed in fast-paced matches. International Play: Looked out of plays in the tourney in Slovakia .. skating was brutal and he was out of position frequently .. not a factor. Progress to Date: Hasn't shown much .. capable carrying the puck out of his own end but doesn't have great vision to take the next step .. some strides in passing accuracy. Areas of Concern: Skating, more specifically speed, agility, lateral movement .. positional play, as a result, has suffered .. must improve shooting skills, in terms of making his point shots more tippable. NHL potential: Worth a few more viewings but so far the feeling is 'no chance'.