U18 Report: Slovakia Part 2

Performance reviews and scouting reports on Team Slovakia from the Under-18 Four Nations tournament in Slovakia.

Other Players

Julius Sinkovic (2006), RW

U18 4N Review: the diminutive Slovak sniper showed an ability to outskate the opposition in the opening game against the Czech Republic, though couldn't battle traffic effectively and occasionally faded to the perimeter .. utilized his quickness to be a solid factor in the opening period of the second game against Germany, but was completely uninspired thereafter .. a limited factor in the third game against Russia .. couldn't find a way to exploit his skating skills and was easily controlled by the Russian defense .. looked uncomfortable in traffic .. proved to be an ineffective player when he doesn't score goals.

Scouting: a solid skater with good acceleration and agility .. boasts impressive top-end speed which can burn defenders .. still could make better use of his quickness .. crafty puckhandler with above-average hand-eye coordination .. likes to exploit a very good wristshot that is not only accurate but also features a sharp release .. fast snapshot .. should use his slapper more frequently .. excels in one-on-one situations .. displays a cool head when faced with a scoring chance .. solid sniper instincts .. useful as a defenseman on the powerplay units .. won't play afraid, yet isn't physically intimidating and is reluctant to play through pain .. not a feared force in heavy traffic thanks to his smallish frame .. tends to use his stick instead of his body while defending .. needs to improve his positional play as he does possess the speed to return to his own zone in time .. still raw in terms of limiting an opponent's options and is prone to floating on occasion.

Erik Caladi (2006), LW

U18 4N Review: the biggest Slovak disappointment at the tournament despite ending up as the team's leading scorer with three points .. ineffective in the opener against the Czech Republic and unable to generate quality offense .. looked hesitant to battle in traffic and took regular shifts off .. outskated the opposition on a number of shifts in the second game against Germany, however didn't initiate physical contact .. failed to properly use his linemates and floated in the defensive end .. appeared a bit tired in the final matchup against Russia .. displayed no heart and determination .. overall failed to impress with any asset which would have given him a better rating from this tournament.

Scouting: a decent skater for a big man .. shows okay agility and solid first-step quickness .. could use better top-end speed .. can execute without having to slow down significantly .. adequate stickhandling skills, but should be capable of a bigger number of elusive moves to sneak past opposing defensemen .. a good accurate passer, though not always fully aware of his linemates .. shows average smarts .. tends to play with his head down .. decent in-close finishing skills .. primarily uses his quick and hard wristshot, as his slapshot, though also hard, lacks the same accuracy .. makes acceptable use of his size, however must learn to play gritty on a more regular basis .. tough to move once he decides to perform in front of the opposing net .. demonstrates very inconsistent awareness in traffic .. a decent forechecker .. willing to return back to help out the defense, though is raw in terms of his defensive awareness .. needs to spot his man faster and block opposing passing lanes more alertly.

Rastislav Konecny (2006), LW

U18 4N Review: began the tournament on a positive note with a solid two-way showing against the Czech Republic .. created problems for the Czech defense with his ability to pass and shoot .. often finished chances prepared for him by Branislav Rehus and Patrik Lusnak .. returned back to help out the defense .. subpar play in traffic was the only knock against him in this contest, which turned out to be the contributing factor that lowered his rating .. played soft against the Germans in the second game and failed to duplicate his good performance from the opening contest .. also hesitant to perform in heavy traffic in the third game against Russia, regularly floating on the periphery instead of generating offense .. his lack of grit hampered the whole first line .. committed a few mistakes when helping out the defense .. didn't help his draft stock with this showing.

Scouting: blessed with decent skating skills, adequate agility and solid lower-body strength and balance.. uses a long stride .. decent but not outstanding first-step quickness .. solid stickhandler, but could further upgrade on his dealing with difficult passes .. can be sneaky with the puck in traffic though isn't a top-notch dangler .. uses the backhand side of his stick well when unleashing a shot .. adequate playmaking ability .. makes quick passes, however can make some risky decisions with the puck .. fires a hard, accurate slapshot .. adequate in one-on-one situations, though there is still room for improvement .. willing to forecheck .. returns back to his own end to help out the defense .. still raw in his defensive positioning .. doesn't play afraid, however, given his size, could crash the net with more authority and determination .. a lesser factor in traffic .. hesitant to use his size and occasionally avoids physical contact .. tends to float on shifts when the game gets more physical .. shoots right.

Patrik Lusnak (2007), RW

U18 4N Review: the slippery winger took advantage of his quickness to slip past the Czech defense numerous times during the Slovak tournament opener .. very proficient at sneaking into the opposing zone with the puck .. largely unimpressive for most of the second game against Germany .. showcased the odd flashy move, though failed to generate offense on a regular basis .. started to avoid traffic and was reluctant to shoot the puck in the later stages of the game .. didn't disappoint in the final contest against Russia, however was unable to regain his top form from the opener .. would have received a better rating if he hadn't avoided traffic so much .. caused difficulties for the slower Russian defensemen with his deceptive quickness, but failed to hit the scoresheet .. overall, met expectations even though he didn't really stand out.

Scouting: possesses slick skating skills .. blessed with strong footspeed and acceleration combined with above-average agility and speed .. could use better balance on his skates however as he tends to get toppled by bigger opponents .. can lure defenders out of position with his flashy moves .. good overall skill set .. crafty puckhandler with elusive stick moves and solid hand-eye coordination .. succeeds in one-on-one situations .. likes to carry the puck into the offensive zone and then pass it to a linemate .. passing skills are adequate for short distances .. occasionally willing to shoot, primarily using his wristshot .. slapshot isn't a weapon as it needs to get harder .. shows average accuracy on his snapshot .. not very effective in traffic thanks to size deficiency .. willing to visit the slot regularly and doesn't play soft, but labours when dealing with bigger opponents .. needs to improve on his defensive play - doesn't seem overly inspired in his own end and marks his man slowly .. late '88-born forward.

Branislav Rehus (2007), C/RW

U18 4N Review: played his best game of the tournament in the opener against the Czech Republic, showing good chemistry with linemates Patrik Lusnak and Rastislav Konecny .. impressed with his playmaking ability and knack for finding holes in traffic to make long passes .. his ability to be effective on the backcheck was equally striking .. broke down along with the majority of his teammates in the second game against Germany .. couldn't make effective use of his smarts and refused to crash the net .. physical play was an issue for him all game long .. additionally, he failed to regain his defensive reliability from the first game .. recovered only slightly from this subpar showing in the finale against Russia .. displayed solid smarts, however wasn't willing to pay the physical price to succeed .. a solid beginning and an average finish.

Scouting: a decent skater who uses short, quick strides .. acceptable agility and first-step quickness .. could use upgrades in top-end speed .. displays adequate balance on his skates .. a solid stickhandler with decent hand-eye coordination .. could deal with difficult passes more effortlessly however, and doesn't always make optimal puck moves when pressed in heavy traffic .. conversely, he is making regular strides in his patience with the puck which is acceptable for now .. times his passes well and uses linemates smartly .. decent finishing skills .. fires a quick snapshot .. his slapshot is of adequate accuracy though could be harder .. willingly returns to aid the defense .. intelligently blocked opposing passing lanes .. doesn't shy away from traffic, however isn't a player who would thrive under the physical style .. won't dish out many hits and must get stronger .. late '88-born forward.

Marko Hucko (2007), LW

U18 4N Review: a very limited factor during the tournament opener against the Czech Republic .. avoided heavy traffic and half-heartedly battled his way into scoring chances .. an average factor in the defensive end .. repeated his unimpressive showing in the second game against Germany .. got knocked off the puck by bigger opponents .. hampered by a lack of top-end speed which enabled the Germans to keep him under control .. played his best game of the tournament in the against Russia where he began to look a bit accustomed to the international games .. creativity continued to be a regular issue in the offensive zone, however this time he at least didn't stop battling .. failed to impress at this tournament.

Scouting: a decent skater who uses a short stride .. okay acceleration and first-step quickness .. adequate agility .. top-end speed still could be upgraded .. average balance .. would benefit from developing smoother stickhandling skills .. unimpressive with the puck in heavy traffic .. more a playmaker than sniper .. shows a quick release on his wristshot and an ability to one-time passes with a fast snapshot .. struggles penetrating through to scoring chances .. willing to play dump-and-chase .. should use his slapshot to a bigger extent .. isn't a noticeable force in heavy traffic thanks to his skinny frame .. a decent forechecker .. tends to take the odd shift off .. willing to return back, however needs to upgrade his defensive awareness and positioning .. doesn't mark his man fast enough and is therefore only an average asset to the penalty killing unit .. bulking up and improving his conditioning are essential .. late '88-born forward.

Lukas Vartovnik (2007), C

U18 4N Review: pulled off a decent showing in the opener against the Czech Republic despite toiling on the fourth line .. quite effective using his quickness and fearless approach, with consistency being the only concern with him during the game .. a non-factor in the second game against Germany .. floated and failed to display his usual spirited style .. saw his icetime cut as the game progressed .. continued to flounder in the final contest against Russia .. wouldn't even initiate physical contact to at least contribute as a grinder after failing to find his way as an attacker .. saw no time on special teams .. began on a decent note, but buried his rating with a very unimpressive finish.

Scouting: a solid skater with deceptive quickness and change of pace .. possesses decent bursts of speed and impressive balance .. could upgrade on his top-end speed though .. an okay puckhandler, capable of making nifty moves with his stick when needed however isn't a dipsy-doodler with the puck .. shows decent offensive instincts and adequate creativity .. possesses satisfactory hockey sense and awareness of where linemates are positioned .. releases a hard snapshot with solid accuracy, though his slapper lacks the same accuracy .. would benefit from developing smoother finishing skills .. shows up in heavy traffic despite his modest frame .. battles for loose pucks and is willing to fish for rebounds in the slot .. needs to pick up on his defensive play, specifically in terms of positioning and marking his man faster .. average in the faceoff circle .. an '89-born forward.