U20 Four-Nations: Czech Republic
A great bulk of the better Czech prospects in the under-20 age category
are playing in North America this season, perhaps making it the more
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impressive that the Czechs wrestled the gold from the claws of the
Russians while icing a lineup of Europe-based players. Vladislav Koutsky and
Ladislav Smid received individual tournament honours for their play,
while Rostislav Olesz was undoubtedly in consideration as the top
forward. 2006 draft-eligible prodigy Michael Frolik opened some eyes and
solidified his name in the scouting community.
Ladislav Smid, D, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Top rearguard flourished at the tournament; a force at both ends of the
ice .. excellent balance and first step quickness .. an impressive
skater backwards .. always very smooth with the puck and showed precise
timing on most feeds .. slap shot has good bite and accuracy, but he hides
it a little bit .. gets good marks for positional game, but should be
more aggressive with his body .. very strong vision at either end; stays
right there with the attacker .. responded well to physical challenges
and never lost composure .. the defensive anchor for the Czechs ..
stock is going up.
Petr Horava, D
A pleasant surprise .. adjusted well to game pace and chipped in
offensively on occasion .. a decent skater with a deceptive pivot step ..
exhibited above-average shooting skills; mainly relies on quickly
releasing the puck as opposed to trying to overpower the goalie with a big-time
slapper .. savvy - positionally and in his playmaking habits .. stays
with his man effectively, but is not a physical type .. needs to show
more of a no-nonsense side when clearing the crease.
Josef Hrabal, D, Edmonton Oilers
Did nothing to stand out .. a decent enough skater for a tall kid, but
must address agility, balance - areas that require further polishing ..
has two-way upside, but plays a predominantly finesse style ..
creative, but often a tad wild and has to simplify his decision-making .. fed
the puck with good timing .. point shots were low and tippable, but one
does not get a sense that he will score a lot of goals .. showed
glaring positional mistakes galore and defensive intensity wanes .. mean
streak did not show itself.
Jakub Sindel, F, Chicago Blackhawks
There was some visible chemistry between him and young Michael Frolik
.. still lite, and couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat .. a
smooth skater with a quick step and good agility .. crafty and tricky in
one-on-one situations .. play away from the puck is not exemplary; too
liberal and not physically involved .. has not shown noticeable increase
in bulk .. uses his stick to harass opponents rather than throwing a
hit.
Rostislav Olesz, F, Florida Panthers
As good as previously advertised .. team captain was the finest two-way
Czech forward and proved to be the most complete package at the event
.. strong legs and good balance .. really tough to knock off the puck ..
not a speedster, but is quicker than many give him credit .. works hard
on each shift .. in many instances was nasty; uses body when wrangling
for pucks along the boards and refuses to be denied of possession ..
sees the ice exceptionally; has the mind and resourcefulness of a budding
elite top-line NHL forward .. should let go of his shot more .. showed
admirable defensive habits.
Vojtech Polak, F, Dallas Stars
Now you see him; now you don't .. intensity levels are questionable as
he tends to go on invisible stretches in most games .. quick and
skilled enough to pounce on scoring opportunities when presented .. has a
quick first step, but lacks balance in his skating .. manoeuvered well
with the puck in traffic .. showed relatively good vision and made crisp,
informed plays to his linemates .. has impressive shooting skills;
wrister and slapper are usually hard and lethal .. prefers open ice to
heavy traffic .. mostly a defensive no-show.
By far the youngest player in the tournament (88-bd) and also one of
the more impressive .. played with maturity beyond his years and took a
share of opposing players to school with a knack for nifty, electrifying
moves .. skates with a smooth stride and exhibits deceptive quickness
.. excellent hand-eye coordination .. astounded with great hockey sense
and uncanny ability to find the open man with the pass .. possesses a
rare sixth sense in finding a passing lane unseen by others .. one minor
quibble is that he should shoot more and drive the net with greater
aggressiveness .. has a solid build; a frame that could support a lot of
muscle and ultimately power .. a crafty, smart player, but it is too
early to pinpoint his overall competitiveness.
Depth player was solid, but did not show much offensive upside .. has
good size and skates well .. has strong legs and once he gets a hold of
the puck, he is difficult to knock off it .. average hands; decent with
the puck .. has an accurate wrister with a quick release ..
unfortunately not a frequent hitter, but effective when makes his size a factor ..
plays with his head down too often and made some poor decisions with
the puck, partly due to his own limitations and in part to not paying
enough attention.
Milan Hluchy, F
Contributed respectably in all three zones .. possesses good agility
and speed .. plays bigger than listed .. while he got overpowered by
bigger opposition, he showed some bullish qualities in traffic and mucked
in the corners .. puck skills are so-so .. plays all three forward
positions .. a great team player .. has a hard slap shot, but barely showed
it at all .. adequate defensively, but needs to pay more attention to
his man.
Named 'top goalie' after rock-solid showings against Finland and Russia .. very calm, poised and has nice size .. athletic, with strong reflexes .. played aggressively on the crease and made saves on the shots he saw .. controls rebounds effectively; directed a good share to the side and avoided meaty bounces .. did not show excellent dexterity and is not exceptionally nimble nor quick laterally, but anticipates game flow well enough to be at the right place, at the right time .. has to work on puck control.