Draft preview – Czech players

By Robert Neuhauser
After the NHL awards have found their new owners, the eyes of all fans, scouts and people around the National Hockey League focus on an event, which decides about the future of all teams and also about the future of approximately 300 young players. No wonder that the NHL scouts get ready for this event for the whole year. After hundreds of mock drafts were made, the time for a decision is here. The players from Europe play under the careful eye of NHL scouts from the time they’re about 15, players who regularly attend the tournaments of junior national teams gain most attention of course. Now I would like to have a closer look at the Czech players, who may be selected this year. It’s almost a wonder how a country with about 10 million people still can produce top NHL prospects every year. Just look at the NHL drafts since 1998. Every year there were at least two Czech players selected in the first round and also the later rounds seem to hide some Czech gems. The overage selections like Philadelphia Flyer Roman Cechmanek also seem to be good fits to their respective teams. With the Czech triumphs at the Under-20 WJC, the World Championships and a solid performance at the Under-18 WJC there is no sign that the trend of drafting Czech players should change. And now finally come to the names!

First round prospects


Jiri Novotny
Position: center
Team: HC Ceske Budejovice
Born: August, 12th, 1983
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 195 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 11th Euro
Jiri is a lock to be selected in the first round. The Carolina Hurricanes may want a center and they should choose between R. J. Umberger and Jiri Novotny. If Jiri is still free after the ‘Canes make their choice, then other teams like the Buffalo Sabres or the Pittsburgh Penguins could call him to the podium. The Pens would love this big hardworking center, who is developing into a faceoff specialist. Jiri posesses lots of leadership skills (captained the Czech squad at the Under-18 WJC) and likes to be on the ice on game-breaking situations. He isn’t a huge goalscorer but a great playmaker. His numbers in the Extraleague weren’t that impressive (just 4 assists in 19 games) but this was mainly only due to limited ice time. In the last game of the season for Budejovice Jiri played first line center and scored two assists. Knocks about his skating can also be heard, but his vision and hockey sense enables him to match this deficit. Definitely a very good prospect who will most likely make it to the NHL. This great leader shouldn’t be there after the Pens make their choice. 

Ales Hemsky
Position: right wing
Team: Hull Olympiques, QMJHL
Born: August, 13th, 1983
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 180 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 9th North America
Born only a day after Jiri Novotny, Ales is going to be selected between the 15th-20th spot. I think he would be a very good fit for either the Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres and finally the Pittsburgh Penguins. At 6’1”, Ales can’t be labeled as diminutive, but he has to add some muscle to make it to the NHL. He is naturally very talented, great skater, very good stickhandling and also not afraid from the rough play. Ales won’t stick his nose into fights, but into scoring situations. The former Pardubice junior star scored great 100 points during his first campaign in the CHL. Not very defensive, but Ales won’t be required to play defensively. He is there to score goals and prepare chances and he’ll do so for the team who is going to select him. 

Lukas Krajicek
Position: defense
Team: Peterborough Petes, OHL
Born: March, 11th, 1983
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 6th North America
The former Zlin midgets player has already spent two years in North America, where he first played for the Detroit Compuware team of the NAHL and for the Petes this season. After some trouble with his birthdate (was listed as born November, 3rd, 1983 and so 2002 eligible) his very good play in the second part of the season moved him up the CSB rankings to the 6th place. Lukas isn’t as tough as a prototypical NHL defenseman should be but he is a good skater with nice offensive instincts and good outlet passes. Likes to support the offense but also doesn’t make horrible defensive mistakes. A reliable rearguard able to score 30 – 40 points pro season. The Pittsburgh Penguins like the Czech guys and he could be their man if Hemsky and Novotny will be taken before their selection. But also a nice fit for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators or Los Angeles Kings (with their second first round pick). Lukas is the last of the three Czechs who probably will end as first-round selections.

Second round prospects


Tomas Plekanec
Position: center
Team: HC Vagnerplast Kladno
Born: October, 31st, 1982
Height: 5'9''
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 14th Euro
The Czech Extraleague Rookie of the year made a great impress this season. Tomas won the title at the Under-20 WJC as the youngest player on the team and centered the third line of Kladno during the whole season. The line of young guns was dominating for Kladno in lots of games and Tomas was the brain of the line. A fast, extremly talented forward with great smarts can score and pass equally well. Also knows how to delight the crowd, two of his plays competed for the Golden DELI Helmet for the best play of the 2000-2001 Extraleague season. Great stickandler and skater Tomas was one of the stars of the junior national teams he played for and was outstanding at the North America trip of the Under-18 team in the 1999-2000 season, where he scored 11 goals. Played his first game in the Extraleague at 15 and played the complete 2000-2001 season against men and not juniors. If the Sabres fail to draft a scorer in the first round, then Tomas could be there with their first choice in the second round (32nd overall). Only the size can prevent Tomas from being selected in the first round, but he definitely should be taken early in the second. 


Tomas Duba
Position: goaltender
Team: HC Sparta Praha
Born: July, 2nd, 1981
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 175 lbs.
Catches: left
CSB rank: 1st Euro goalies

Tomas is a typical late blooming goalie who helped the Czech Republic to win two consecutive World champion titles at the Under-20 WJC. Split this season between the juniors and seniors of Sparta Praha, where he played backup to Petr Briza, a Czech legend. Tomas is more a butterfly goalie with very good reflexes, plays the angles well and has a quick glove hand. He plays with solid poise and confidence and can handle the pressure quite well. Will join SaiPa Lapeenranta of the Finnish Elite league for the next season. Tomas is one of the next Czech goaltending gems who can even slip to the first round. In three years he can challenge for a backup spot in the NHL.

Martin Podlesak
Position: center/left wing
Team: Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL
Born: September, 26th, 1982
Height: 6'6''
Weight: 200 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 38th North America
Martin, a former HC Sparta Praha forward, is one of the biggest Czech players to come over to play in North America. He spent this season playing for Tri-City Americans and Lethbridge Hurricanes and also participated at the Top Prospects Game. Martin should work on his skating, but he is a good faceoff player and an excellent puckhandler, who can play in traffic. Posesses great size and isn’t afraid to throw his body around, at 220 lbs. he will he dangerous in the NHL. Martin should develop into a puck-moving power forward, not a huge scorer but a tough reliable player. He missed the 2000 draft only by days and this year he should be chosen between the 15th-25th place of the second round.

Third round prospects


Tomas Plihal
Positon: center/right wing
Team: HC Liberec
Born: March, 28th, 1983
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 18th Euro
Tomas made a very good impress with his play at the Under-18 WJC. This performance helped him to move up the CSB rankings and he should be taken early in the third round. Tomas split this season between the junior and senior team of the Div I team Liberec and he impresses with his very good skating skills and stickhandling ability. Tomas is there when you need a player to score a goal, he has very good instincts for the game and reads the play quite well. He has a dangerous wrist shot and also can make smart passes. Very good on the powerplay but Tomas has to work on his consistency and at times he doesn’t seem to be very intense. He should challenge for a spot on a Extraleague team or come over to North America after the draft, because he looks like a solid prospect. 

Daniel Volrab
Position: center
Team: HC Sparta Praha
Born: March, 11th, 1983
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 56th Euro
Daniel was once heralded as a first round prospect. Why he isn’t still a first round talent, is because of his mind. This naturally very talented guy disappears from the ice too many times for a first-round prospect. Even if he had to fight mononucleosis this season, if he were more intense, he would post better numbers. A poor performance at the Under-18 WJC, where he was benched for the bronze medal game didn’t also help him. But when he is involved in the game, then you see a very good skater who can prepare great chances and score important goals. Daniel has terrific hockey sense and scores and passes equally well. He also can play defensively when it is needed. He is solid with his stick and excells on the powerplay. Coming over to the CHL after the draft could change his determination and make him the top prospect like he is when it is his day. 

Petr Domin
Position: center
Team: HC Becherovka Karlovy Vary
Born: January, 1st, 1983
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 200 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 19th Euro
The big Karlovy Vary center played very well at the Under-18 WJC. He has prototypical NHL size, isn’t afraid of the rough play and passes very well. Petr also has a powerful slapshot, which he shoots quite often. Even if he is mobile for a big man, Petr should work on skating, he is slow at moments. He played his first game in the Extraleague when he was 16 and he looks like he could do well in North America. Petr played regularly for the national teams of the 1983 born guys and he should be taken late in the third round at worst. This season he played eight games in the Extraleague and he could be ready to come over to North America in three years.

Fourth round prospects


Jiri Jakes
Position: right wing
Team: Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL
Born: October, 4th, 1982
Height: 6'4''
Weight: 210 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 43rd North America
This former Sparta Praha forward looks like a prototypical Philadelphia Flyer from the time 25 years ago. Jiri plays a hard-hitting game and has to further develop his skills to be classified as an European forward. Jiri likes to fight along the boards, shoots the puck rather than passes it and is very good in front of the opposing net, where he looks for rebounds. Skating appears to be his biggest drawback, he has to work on it. His stickhandling could also be better, but Jiri has a booming shot, which he presented at the CHL Top Prospects Skills Competition, where he finished third in this event with 94.8 mph. His lack of typical Euro skills will probably cost him a spot in the second or third round, but Jiri is suited for North American hockey and can succeed or fail in the NHL. 

Tomas Mojzis
Position: defenseman
Team: Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL
Born: May, 2nd, 1982
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 186 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 46th North America
The former Pardubice junior player was overlooked at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, but this won’t happen in 2001. The transition to the WHL was a very good decision for Tomas, which helped him a lot. He improved quite a lot to be labeled as a serious prospect. Played for the Czech Republic at the 2000 Under-18 WJC. Tomas is a good puck-moving defenseman who can produce some offense as well. Plays a solid positional play with good vision and hockey sense, but could be more aggresive and tougher. Tomas doesn’t shy from a physical contact, but his aggresivness could bring his game to another level if it would be improved. However a good pick in the fourth round which can turn out to be a steal. 

Petr Puncochar
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Becherovka Karlovy Vary
Born: June, 8th, 1983
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 200 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 45th Euro
Petr is one of the best Czech 1983 born defensemen. Played twice at the Under-18 WJC and this year he was a member of the second all-star team. Petr is a player who played already some games in the Czech Extraleague and plays a very good all-round game. Petr plays offensively and defensively equally well, skates good, can read the play well and also can contribute offensively. Petr is very dangerous on the powerplay and shoots the puck quite accurate. Already well built at 200 lbs., Petr could only add one or two inches to be a great defenseman. He doesn’t seem to have any glaring weaknesses and is underrated by the CSB in my opinion.

Later rounds prospects


Frantisek Lukes
Position: left wing
Team: Toronto St.Michael's Majors, OHL
Born: September, 25th, 1982
Height: 5'9''
Weight: 165 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 112th North America
Frankie had a very good start with the St.Mike’s Majors, struggled a bit at midseason but had a solid finish to hope for a chance to be drafted. Frantisek was one of the best scorers of the Czech junior national team consisting of 1982 born players along with Tomas Plekanec. Frankie also has nearly the same size as the diminutive Plekanec. Frantisek is a very fast forward with good acceleration and a nice scoring touch. He can fire an accurate wrist shot but could work on his slapshot more. You won’t see a tough type of player in Frantisek, but this is not required from a smallish player. Frankie relies on his speed and hockey smarts, which he developed in the famed “factory for forwards” in Litvinov back home in the Czech Republic. However, his smallish stature will keep him from being selected earlier than in the fifth round. He is no tough Derek Roy, but a finesse winger. 

Miroslav Blatak
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Continental Zlin
Born: May, 25th, 1982
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 175 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 41st Euro
Size was the reason why this very smart, skilled defenseman was overlooked at the 2000 NHL draft. Miroslav isn’t a hard-hitting player, he more relies on his smarts, positional play and good reading of games to break up the plays of the oppostion. Once he has done so, he is able to carry the puck to the offensive zone and pass it to the forwards. Miroslav could add some toughness, but he is still a solid skater with very good puckhandling skills. He isn’t a pure offensive defenseman, but joins the rush quite often. Also a good passer, Miroslav played 8 games in the Extraleague for his club, Zlin. If a team would want a solid defenseman who can produce some offense, they could look for Miroslav Blatak in the later rounds. 

Martin Kasik
Position: left wing
Team: HC Sparta Praha
Born: January, 28th, 1983
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 175 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 78th Euro
This Sparta Praha winger will have to add some bulk if he ever wants to think about playing in the NHL. Martin dropped 63 places in the CSB rankings and this is mainly because of his bad play in the second half of the season and that he doesn’t seem always interested in the games. Martin isn’t a goalscorer, he tries to make plays and be responsible defensively. A big man, Martin is hard to get knocked off the puck but he could handle it better. Also his play along the boards needs to be more aggresive if he wants to succeed in North America. Martin is a project and it is questionable if some team will find him worth a late round gamble. 

Jan Platil
Position: defenseman
Team: Barrie Colts, OHL
Born: February, 9th, 1983
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 195 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 104th North America
Jan played nine games for Kladno in the Czech Extraleague already as a 16-year old. This season was his first in the OHL and he had to adjust to another style of play. Jan still remained a tough aggresive defenseman who likes to throw hard bodychecks and punish the opposing forwards who appear in his zone. Jan also has good passing skills and a solid shot. But he has some problems with consistency and he sometimes makes mistakes in the defensive zone. His play at the Under-18 WJC wasn’t a stellar performance, but I think that some team should try on Jan as he is a tough cookie with good offensive instincts, which can be used on the powerplay. 

Zbynek Novak
Position: left wing
Team: HC Slavia Praha
Born: July, 23rd, 1983
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 195 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 72nd Euro
The Slavia Praha juniors first line winger excelled with a gritty performance at the Under-18 WJC. Zbynek’s play didn’t got noticed at times, but he played well as a defensive forward. He has very good size, skates quite well for a big man, even if his skating could still be improved and likes to shoot the puck once he has it on his stick. He has a good shooting arsenal and is tough to get knocked off the puck. His problem seems to be that he sometimes doesn’t seem to read the play terribly well and sometimes doesn’t make great passes. If this draft will be stocked with overaged players, then Zbynek could find himself undrafted, if not, then some team could choose this sized left winger, who excells at the defensive side of his play. 

Frantisek Bakrlik
Position: right wing
Team: Barrie Colts, OHL
Born: June, 2nd, 1983
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 200 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 158th North America
Frankie played at the Under-18 WJC along with his teammate Jan Platil. Back home with Litvinov he dominated the midget league with his scoring touch, but his scoring tailed off a bit with the Colts. That’s logic, because he didn’t see so much ice time, but it is doubtful if Frankie will be drafted this year. He has the size to be very good along the boards, but he has to work on it more to make his size to his advantage. Frankie is a solid stickhandler who could pass the puck more. He also has a good shooting arsenal and can shoot quite accurate, but could skate better, even if his skating isn’t awful. Frankie is still a project who isn’t a lock to be selected this year. 

Jan Rehor
Position: right wing
Team: HC Ceske Budejovice
Born: April, 30th, 1983
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 180 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 53rd Euro
Jan skated on the first line of Ceske Budejovice juniors this season, where he could have enough ice time for his offensive rides. Jan is a very good skater and stickhandler who likes to have the puck on his stick. At this point he has some tendences to overhandle the puck instead of shooting it right on the net. Jan is a smart player with very good offensive instincts, he excells at one-on-one situations and knows how to play in traffic. His defensive play seems to be a drawback, Jan doesn’t look like a defensive player and sometimes doesn’t care about the defensive side of his play. But he is a fast skilled winger who would be worth a late round selection. 

Tomas Micka
Position: left wing
Team: HC Slavia Praha
Born: June, 7th, 1983
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 175 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 117th Euro
If anyone wants a real grinder, a depth player, please, here can one be had. Tomas Micka is a guy who gives everything to the team’s success. You won’t see him in the spotlight as a great goalscorer, but he works a lot for those who score goals. Tomas does little things well, he is good at forechecking and backchecking, fights for the puck along the boards, goes in front of the net and is very responsible defensively. A member of the Czech team at the Under-18 WJC, Tomas dropped in the CSB rankings in the second part of the season, but he won’t be a goalscorer ever. He’ll be a guy that is needed on every team that thinks of success. The problem is that two or three guys of this character are enough on a team. Tomas isn’t blessed with top-notch skills, he is an average skater and stickhandler and his chances to hear his name selected aren’t too high. 

Zbynek Michalek
Position: defenseman
Team: Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL
Born: December, 23rd, 1982
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 175 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 90th North America
Zbynek Michalek, a brother of the 2003 top prospect Milan Michalek, spent his first season in the CHL with the Cataractes with another Czech, forward Radim Vrbata. Zbynek showed signs of steady improvment through the course of the season. He plays a solid defensively responsible game with minimum of mistakes. He is hard enough to succeed in North American hockey, isn’t afraid of the rough play and with increased playing time his play got better and better as he adjusted to another style of play. Zbynek isn’t an offensive defenseman even if his passes are quite solid and accurate, but he prefers his defensive duties. He takes care of his own end first and posesses good skating skills to keep the play in front of him. He had a good season in the Q and I think that some team should try on this player as he can develop into a very good defensive defenseman. 

Jan Holub
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Liberec
Born: May, 3rd, 1983
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 38th Euro
Jan caught the eye of the NHL scouts with his good play at the Under-18 WJC. This helped him to move into the CSB final rankings, exactly the same way as by Ottawa Senators’ Karel Rachunek, Karel didn’t play a lot in his season with the Under-18 team but the Sens picked him with their ninth round choice in 1997 and now he is in the NHL. Jan would surely like to follow his footsteps and he really could. He is a big, tough defenseman with good defensive skills but a low offensive upside. He could support the offense more and he is no puck rushing defenseman. A stay-at-home guy, Jan likes to use his size to keep the opposition out of his zone. He has to further develop his skating skills because an increased mobility would bring his game to an upper level. Jan posesses a hard shot, but he could use it more. To sum up, Jan is still raw but could develop into a tough reliable defensive blueliner. An eighth or ninth round pick would surely be worth. 

Martin Soucek
Position: defenseman
Team: SK Horacka Slavia Trebic
Born: May, 15th, 1983
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 180 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 76th Euro
Martin is one of the few 1983 born defensemen who competed this season against men. He played the second half of the season with the senior team of Trebic in the Div I league. Also played at the Under-18 WJC. Martin is a calm guy who doesn’t let the problems bother him and so looks his play on the ice. When the play is too wild and the coach needs somebody who would hold the puck a bit to make the play more calm, then Martin is the correct guy. Plays a very good positional game, reads the plays well and is at the right place in the right moment very often. Martin isn’t too big so his physical play suffers a bit but he relies on his positional play. But if there is a chance to throw a hit, Martin will use it. His offensive upside seems to be quite low, Martin doesn’t like to make outlet passes or carry the puck deep into the opposing zone. He has to develop his offensive side but his defensive play is very good. But his lack of size may cause that he’ll be overlooked at the draft. 

Lukas Dobry
Position: right wing
Team: HC Continental Zlin
Born: April, 15th, 1983
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 170 lbs.
Shoots: R
CSB rank: 66th Euro
Lukas, a member of the Czech Under-18 team, is a player who does almost everything well but nothing in his arsenal is really top notch. He is an intense forward who can score goals as well as play defensively when the situation needs it. Right now his problem seems to be his lack of muscle, at 170 lbs. he is quite skinny. Lukas is no tough guy, he is more a finesse forward who can also play a grinder role. A good skater for his height, Lukas also has a nice accurate wrist shot. His hockey sense is quite good and so is his vision and reading plays. But like I said, nothing of it is really special. Lukas doesn’t seem to be a potentional superstar but an above average player. 

Lukas Chmelir
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Becherovka Karlovy Vary
Born: April, 15th, 1983
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 190 lbs.
Shoots: L
CSB rank: 123rd
Lukas was along with Jiri Novotny the heart and soul of the Czech Under-18 team. He is a natural leader, on the ice and also in the locker room. Lukas, a smallish type of defenseman, played four games in the Extraleague this season. Lukas is a very good backward skater and solid stickhandler who is very good defensively. Makes almost no mistakes and is useful on both powerplay and penalty kill. His problem is, that for a stay-at-home NHL player he may be too small. Lukas relies on his skills more than on the rough side. Even if he has some offensive upside, his defensive side is dominating. Lukas is a character guy who could be a wild card for some NHL team.

Overage prospects


Petr Cajanek
Position: center/left wing
Team: HC Continental Zlin
Born: August, 18th, 1975
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 175 lbs.
Shoots: L
Petr is a two-time world champion who still owns the record for most penalty minutes drawn by a single player at the Under-20 WJC with 65 PIMs. Petr played his entire Extraleague career for Zlin, where he recorded 49 points (18 goals and 31 assists) along with 105 PIMs this season. Petr is a lion heart, never gives up, always playing the games at high intensity. When he was younger, he was a hot head and was looking for fights, now he fights about five times pro season. But mainly he is an excellent passer and scorer. Petr is an excellent skater with a fluid stride and great acceleration. Has very good vision and hockey sense, at nearly 26 years no longer a prospect but a mature player with terrific offensive instincts. After the fourth round I would look for Petr to be selected. The only problem is that he is too skinny to play in the NHL right now. He will have to add some bulk if he wants to succeed at a camp. But his plusses are overwhelming – Petr is a great skater, solid at faceoffs, good goalscorer and passer. 

Karel Pilar
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Chemopetrol Litvinov
Born: December, 23rd, 1977
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 210 lbs.
Shoots: R
Karel played just two seasons in the Czech Extraleague with Litvinov and now he has become a world champion as he won the title in Germany. Left Sparta Praha after his junior career during which he was overlooked by the coaches of the junior national teams and finally got a chance with Litvinov in 1999-2000, after playing for Kralupy nad Vltavou in a lower league. This season was very good for Karel as he grabbed the title for the scoring champion among defensemen in the Czech Extraleague, with 38 points (12 goals + 26 assists) in 52 games. Karel is a defenseman who likes to play offensively, but mainly takes care of his own end. He has an accurate shot from the point, very good passing skills and is very useful on the powerplay. Pilar skates well but he will have to work on his toughness in order to succeed in the NHL. 

Dusan Salficky
Position: goaltender
Team: HC Keramika Plzen
Born: March, 28th, 1972
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 184 lbs.
Catches: left
Dusan, a fan favorite of the Plzen fans, is a goaltending star of the Czech Extraleague already for a long time. This season he appeared in all 52 contests of Plzen, posting a 2.63 GAA and a .9244 save percentage. His season with the national team was also excellent as he was the starter till the World Championships and was a key factor for the Czech team in many games. Dusan is a butterfly goalie with excellent reflexes and a quick glove. Likes to challenge the opposing forward and plays the angles well. NHL goalies are mostly better at stickhandling than Dusan is and this factor he has to improve. But otherwise is Dusan a very mature goalie, mentally well prepared, plays with lots of confidence. With the trend of selecting Czech goaltender he could be one of the late round selection and hope to become the next Roman Cechmanek. 

Marek Zidlicky
Position: defenseman
Team: IFK Helsinki
Born: February, 3rd, 1977
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoots: R
Marek was one of the brightest stars of the junior national teams he played for. However, he was overlooked at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, when was his draft year, and also in 1996. After that his chances to be drafted were equally zero but with a good season he had in the Finnish SM-Liiga some team could finally call his name. One of the reasons why Marek, the former player of Kladno, went undrafted probably was that it was said that he has a bad influence on the team. Due to this fact he also missed some tournaments with the junior teams. Stubborn Marek didn’t always do exactly what the coaches wanted and the team followed him. Now at 24 years Marek should be more calm and coachable. And he blossomed into a real good defenseman. He only developed the skills he already had at 18. Marek is a very good skater, good acceleration at skating backwards and solid lateral movement. He can support the offense well, has a strong shot and good outlet passes. Plus, Marek is a tough nasty defenseman who is always willing to throw a hit. Back in the Czech Republic he was one of the top Czech tough guys, he drops the gloves with pleasure when the situation needs it. In 2000-2001 he stunned the Finnish league and he could repeat this also in the NHL. Marek could turn into a gem if a team selects him. After the fourth round I would look for him.

So, that would be it. I expect at least 11 junior players and two overagers to be selected at the NHL Entry Draft this week. There surely can be some surprises when there will be drafted players not included in this list, but this concerns mostly the overagers. Ivan Huml, the Bruins second round choice in the last draft, came almost from nowhere (exactly from the BCJHL’s Langley Hornets), but I think that this isn’t very likely this year. We’ll see, I’ll follow with a draft review of the selected Czech players soon after the draft. Enjoy the draft show!