U-18 5N Report: Czech Republic
Robert Neuhauser examines the top Czech players in Part 3 of his Under-18 Five
Nations tournament report.
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1: Russia | Part
2: Sweden | McKeen's Draft Insider |
Rankings
Team Czech Republic
Only a shootout loss to Sweden prevented the Czechs from claiming second place
at the Five Nations Tournament. The third-place Czechs were backed by a solid
showing from netminder Jakub Cech who started all four games, however, injuries
to some key players forced the coaches to shuffle the lineup and create new
combos. Ivo Kratena was the only player at the tournament to record a hat-trick
with his three-game effort in the final game against Team USA. This tournament
proved that the Czechs will have a strong 2004 draft class as late 1985-born
players, Rostislav Olesz and Lukas Kaspar, along with 1986 born Ladislav Smid,
belonged to the player's elite echelon. Among the 2003 eligibles, Vojtech Polak
will be asked to lead the team at the upcoming Under-18 World Junior Championship,
where the Czechs will be looking to defend their bronze medal from last year.
Top performers
Olesz - after Vojtech Polak was placed on injured reserve, center Rostislav
Olesz took over the captain's duties on the Czech team. Albeit suffering a hand
injury himself, Olesz was the key performer for the Czech squad. He showed his
usual combative and rugged style of game. He is a solid skater with good balance
and deceptive quickness thanks to his superior leg strength. Olesz has superb
vision which enables him to control the play of the whole line. He shoots and
passes equally well, and has exquisite puckhandling abilities. Olesz takes advantage
of his sturdy body to rule as a hard hitter. A character guy, he gives everything
to the team's success and is very aware defensively. He doesn't take shifts
off and plays with lots of heart. The complete package, Olesz will challenge
for a top three pick in 2004.
Lukas Kaspar - the big left winger opened some eyes at this tournament
with an impressive showing of grit, skill and aggressiveness. Kaspar possesses
a huge frame, which he knows how to take full advantage of. He just needs to
bulk up and gain more strength, but still delivered some precise checks. He
is a solid skater for a player of his size and possesses a decent burst of speed.
Blessed with soft hands, he handles the puck extremely well and has a great
nose for the net. A creative goal-scorer, Lukas uses both his wrister and slapshot
with ease and accuracy. His instincts close to goal are quite remarkable. However,
he needs to improve in some areas such as his agility and his defensive awareness,
in addition to consistency as Kaspar doesn’t always show up with his ‘A’
game. Having missed the 2003 draft by just a few days, look for Kaspar to be
a high-profile pick in 2004.
Ladislav Smid - suffered a charley horse in the opening game which forced
him to sit out next two games. Despite his injury setback, the underaged Smid
still emerged as one of the premiere defensemen on the Czech squad. One of his
strongest assets is his exceptional puckhandling ability and a special knack
for weaving his way through heavy traffic. A terrific stickhandler, he is also
very adept at making accurate, precisely-timed outlet passes. However, Ladislav
does tend to overhandle the puck at times, which can get into hot water. His
solid slapshot contributes to his offensive flair, although Ladislav needs to
release it more frequently. On the defensive aspect of his game, he is positionally
sound, relying more on his good vision and reading of plays than on toughness.
Aggressiveness will be a thing for him to work on, in addition to his skating
which is still a question mark. Nevertheless, he still projects as a first-rounder
in 2004.
Polak - a leg injury and a health ailment (fever) prevented Polak from
participating in the tournament’s climax, however, the dazzling right winger
still was able to make his mark in the first two contests. Having grown nearly
two inches over the last year, Polak is quite skinny and has some filling out
to do. He is an extremely talented offensive forward who rules in the offensive
zone. Once on the puck, he always looks for a way to fire it using his lightning-quick
wrister or his strong slapshot. Blessed with a nose for the net, Polak is a
tremendous skater with excellent agility. He is also a smooth puckhandler, and
relies more on his top-notch skill than on physical play, as he is still soft
and doesn't like the tough style. He has made some strides in his defensive
awareness along with his overall play away from the puck, but he still needs
to improve in this area. An offensive whiz, Polak looks like a sure first-round
pick this summer. ( McKeen's Scouting Report on Vojtech
Polak )
Milan Hluchy - the diminutive left winger saw his stock rise at this
tournament. Hluchy made good use of his elusive moves to slip through defenses
and score some important goals. A pint-sized forward blessed with solid wheels,
he accelerates well and can turn on a dime. Hluchy is a also a crafty puckhandler
who is very good in one-on-one situations. His variety of shots is solid, but
he still needs to work on his accuracy. He plays bigger than his size due to
his willingness to hit and grind it out in the corners. His two main drawbacks,
however, are his lack of physical strength and lack of defensive awareness.
Hluchy also needs to work on his consistency and his play away from the puck,
as he doesn't always play with a high level of intensity. Size will prevent
him from being a high draft pick, but he certainly will look enticing in the
later rounds.
Jan Steber - the diligent center left a very solid impression with his
gritty play mixed and decent skills. Steber skates well for a big man and has
nice explosiveness and agility. He still needs to gain more strength which will
also upgrade his balance. He excels in all game situations and is effective
on both the powerplay and penalty-killing units. He has decent hockey sense
and is both smart and creative with the puck. More a playmaker than a sniper,
Steber distributes crisp accurate passes. His puckhandling is only average,
but he compensates with his strong intensity and determination. He also takes
care of his own end and can't be labeled as one-dimensional. Steber possesses
a strong slapper, although his wristshot could have a faster release and better
accuracy. Although not a blue-chipper for the 2004 draft, he should emerge as
one of the darkhorses.
Below expectations
Lukas Bolf - still was unable to regain the fine form he displayed in
the last two international seasons, and this tournament contributed to his sliding
stock. Bolf made mistakes in his defensive-zone coverage and didn't distribute
the pucks with much composure. He is a decent skater and is blessed with a sturdy
frame, although he isn't a mean physical force. Bolf possesses good vision and
hockey sense and has a nice offensive flair. He is a solid puckhandler and will
occasionally join the rush. However, he needs to unleash his hard slapshot more
often and also improve his positional play. Still very raw, Bolf hasn’t
had a particularly good season which will negatively impact his draft stock.
Look for him to get some late-round consideration this summer. The upside is
here, but Bolf has to perform up to par.
More coverage of the U-18 Tournament and draft prospects in McKeen's
Draft Insider