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Lightning 2005 draft review
Written by: Courtney Wagner on 08/28/2005 
The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning received the last pick in the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, after their ball was coincidently selected last at the draft lottery. With their nine choices in the draft, the Lightning selected six forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender. Three of their selections were from Slovakia, three from Canada, two from the Czech Republic, and one from the United States.
Vladimir Mihalik, D
Round 1, 30th overall
Presov (Slovakia-2)
With their first selection in the 2005 draft the Lightning chose Vladimir Mihalik, 30th overall. The native of Slovakia split his time last season between the junior and 1st division teams. The defenseman stands at 6'7 and 220 lbs., but does not tend to play an aggressive style of hockey. He did start to display a mean streak while playing with the division 1 team in the latter part of the season and learned to play the body. His improvement showed during the U-18 World Junior Championships where he delivered hits and was more effective against opponents in his own end.
Mihalik's skating is a concern, but he has improved his first-step quickness and will need to continue to work on his front-to-back speed. He has a powerful slap shot and can be utilized on the power play. The Red Deer Rebels of the WHL selected Mihalik in the CHL Import Draft.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Presov Jr (Slovak Jr) | 23 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 44 |
| Presov (Slovak-2) | 32 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 24 |
Radek Smolenak, LW
Round 3, 73rd overall
Kingston (OHL)
After trading their second round pick to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for Vaclav Prospal, the Lightning had their second pick of the draft in the third round, where they selected Radek Smolenak, 73rd overall. A native of the Czech Republic, Smolenak came over to North America in his draft year to play for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. He led all OHL rookies with 31 goals and was fourth for points with 60. He showed consistency throughout the year, despite playing for a weak team. He also proved his worth at the CHL Top Prospects Game where he had a goal and an assist despite only being in the game as an injury replacement.
Noted as a natural goal-scorer with soft hands, he was a consistent offensive threat in the OHL. He will continue to improve on his game next year in the OHL.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Kingston OHL | 67 | 32 | 28 | 60 | 58 |
Chris Lawrence, C
Round 3, 89th overall
Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
With their second choice in the third round, the Lightning selected Chris Lawrence from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. Lawrence was a member of Team Ontario at the 2004 U-17 Championships and helped lead the team to a gold medal by posting seven points in six games. He was also invited to play at the 2005 CHL Top Prospects Game.
Lawrence has a good skill set, with a lot of offensive tools to work with, but hasn't quite put everything together just yet. He could benefit from gaining strength and needs to play with more consistency. He has a few years left in the OHL and if he uses those to put his game together and reach his potential, he could be a real force in his last season in the league.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Sault Ste. Marie OHL | 68 | 11 | 40 | 51 | 57 |
Marek Bartanus, RW
Round 4, 92nd overall
Kosice HC (Slovak)
In the fourth round the Lightning selected Marek Bartanus, a native of Slovakia, 92nd overall. Bartanus had a successful season with Kosice's junior team in 2003-04 and started off the 2004-05 season with the senior team. Having to fight for ice time on the veteran squad he struggled, posting only two goals and one assist. After rejoining the junior team he put up strong numbers, 14 goals and 14 assists in 34 games with a +35 rating, although frustrated his coaches with a lazy attitude and lack of consistent effort. Despite being given named the captain of Slovakia's team at the World Junior Championships, he played poorly with only a goal and an assist in six games.
Bartanus is a good stickhandler with strong wrist and slap shots, but his lack of effort and intensity in the defensive zone has been noticed by coaches and scouts. He will move on to North America next year to play with the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL and it may spark him to have a stronger work ethic. It remains to be seen if he will be able to mature as a player and live up to his potential.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Kosice (Slovak) | 24 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Trebisov (Slovak-2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kosice Jr (Slovak Jr) | 34 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 99 |
Blair Jones, C
Round 4, 102nd overall
Moose Jaw (WHL)
With their second choice in the fourth round, Tampa selected Blair Jones from the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. Jones spent the first part of the 2004-05 season with the Red Deer Rebels where he was a regular offensive contributor. When Dion Phaneuf was sidelined with an injury, Jones anchored the team's power play, due in part to his powerful shot. He also gained experience playing on the top forward unit alongside Colin Fraser and Roman Wick. Jones recorded 25 points with Red Deer and another 25 with Moose Jaw for a 50-point season. He was also an instrumental part of Moose Jaw's success down the stretch and during their postseason effort. He led the team in scoring during the playoffs with seven points in five games. He had a +10 rating to end the season, well ahead of notable names like Dustin Boyd (-28) and Troy Brouwer (-26). Jones possesses good offensive skills and is smart on the ice. He is a well-rounded player who is reliable in both ends of the rink. He sees the ice well and has the potential to be a good two-way player.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Moose Jaw WHL | 29 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 30 |
| Red Deer WHL | 39 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 48 |
Stanislav Lascek, RW
Round 5, 133rd overall
Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
In the fifth round, the Lightning selected Stanislav Lascek, 133rd overall. This native of Slovakia has two seasons with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL under his belt. He was the team's third leading scorer in 2004-05 with 90 points and led the team with 72 assists. His assists speak to his ability to set up his teammates for scoring chances and he has been known for sneaking into the play behind defenders. Lascek is strong in traffic and is known for his ability to control the puck. He is strong offensively and can read plays well. He has also been noted to have strong character, work ethic, determination and leadership qualities. With further development he has the potential to become a top-six forward.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Chicoutimi QMJHL | 53 | 18 | 72 | 90 | 42 |
Marek Kvapil, RW
Round 6, 163rd overall
Saginaw (OHL)
The Lightning selected Marek Kvapil in the sixth round. Born in Ilava, Slovakia, he grew up in the Czech Republic and is a Czech citizen.
Kvapil was a player that many scouts had on their list, due to the amount of skills he possesses. The 5'11, 172-pounder led the Saginaw Spirit in scoring in his first season in the OHL, with 62 points in 53 games. He was also a member of the Czech team in the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championships. He had five points in seven games, which was third best on the team. Kvapil is strong in the corners and can control the pace of the play. He can score goals, is good with the puck and is dangerous on the power play. Despite his small frame he has endurance and won't give up if he takes a beating. He may spend more time developing in the AHL due to his lack of size.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Saginaw OHL | 53 | 25 | 37 | 62 | 14 |
Kevin Beech, G
Round 6, 165th overall
Sudbury (OHL)
With their second pick in the sixth round, the Lightning selected goaltender Kevin Beech from the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. Not a strong year for goaltending prospects, Beech was one of the few that had any buzz surrounding him. At 6'4 and 168 lbs., he is a lanky netminder. He served as backup to San Jose prospect Patrick Ehelechner and improved his numbers significantly from his rookie season, with his goals against average going from 3.55 to 2.65. He has good potential, but has been inconsistent, something that could be attributed to his size and lack of endurance. He will need to continue to develop his skills and play more consistently to have a shot at the next level.
| Year | Team | GP | W | L | T | GAA | SV% | SO |
| 2004-05 | Sudbury OHL | 21 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2.65 | .912 | 2 |
John Wessbecker, D
Round 7, 225th overall
Blake (U.S. High School)
With their final selection in the 2005 draft, the Lightning selected Blake High School player, John Wessbecker 225th overall in the seventh round. In 2004-05 at Blake he was All Conference, and was the recipient of the Dartmouth Trophy for being the team's most valuable player, an award voted on by the coaches and players. He shared the honor of best defensive player and was awarded the Hobey Baker High School Character award for being a student that exemplified the spirit, sportsmanship and character through their attitude, work ethic, unselfishness, and "coachability". The defenseman will attend the University of Massachusetts at Amherst this fall, the school Tampa prospect John Toffey recently departed.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS |
| 2004-05 | The Blake School (USHSW) | 26 | 6 | 16 | 22 |
Jes Golbez Ursulak, Ivana Paulova and Jason Ahrens contributed to this report. Copyright 2005 Hockey's Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
Copyright 2005 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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