WC: 2021 Slovakia Roster Talk

[Antiillafire]

Watching the past games in the kaufland cup and now today’s game against Austria. There are a few major points of discussion for the team.

1. Nemec and Slafkovsky are a must to be there. Nemec has blown me away with how good he’s been for the men’s team. No doubt he may be a top 3 Slovak defender at this tournament if North American players do not play. Slafkovsky has impressed me with his 2 way play as well. He looks like he is rounding out his game even more.

2. Daniil Fominykh has been quite impressive. I have no clue how he only scored 4 pts in 24 games this year in the Slovak league. Good hands and a skilled playmaker, he has been consistent over these games.

3. More off topic but people ranking Slovak league players so low compared to other leagues need to look at these games as examples. Okay Slovak players outplayed and looked much better than German players who were ppg in the DEL! What does this say? The leagues are much closer than many think.

 

[elMatador]

Watching the past games in the kaufland cup and now today’s game against Austria. There are a few major points of discussion for the team.

1. Nemec and Slafkovsky are a must to be there. Nemec has blown me away with how good he’s been for the men’s team. No doubt he may be the best Slovak defender at this tournament if North American players do not play. Slafkovsky has impressed me with his 2 way play as well. He looks like he is rounding out his game even more.

2. Daniil Fominykh has been quite impressive. I have no clue how he only scored 4 pts in 24 games this year in the Slovak league. Good hands and a skilled playmaker, he has been consistent over these games.

3. More off topic but people ranking Slovak league players so low compared to other leagues need to look at these games as examples. Okay Slovak players outplayed and looked much better than German players who were ppg in the DEL! What does this say? The leagues are much closer than many think.

While I agree with you on Nemec who is the bright spot and to some extend on Slafkovsky that team has a serious lack of topend skill. It's a bunch of nobodies who would play in the NHL on the 4th line/bottom pair D or AHL.

 

[Antiillafire]

While I agree with you on Nemec who is the bright spot and to some extend on Slafkovsky that team has a serious lack of topend skill. It's a bunch of nobodies who would play in the NHL on the 4th line/bottom pair D or AHL.

Well I mean yes that’s true, all I’m saying is that he will probably be running the powerplay as a 17 year old and was dominant against Germany which had multiple PPG players in the DEL. The top end skill is not very good but it’s not much separation from what other non big 5 nations will send to this tournament if they don’t get help from NA.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Well I mean yes that’s true, all I’m saying is that he will probably be running the powerplay as a 17 year old and was dominant against Germany which had multiple PPG players in the DEL. The top end skill is not very good but it’s not much separation from what other non big 5 nations will send to this tournament if they don’t get help from NA.

who are these "big 5 nations" u talk about?

 

[Antiillafire]

who are these "big 5 nations" u talk about?

USA, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Canada

 

[Elvs]

Well I mean yes that’s true, all I’m saying is that he will probably be running the powerplay as a 17 year old and was dominant against Germany which had multiple PPG players in the DEL. The top end skill is not very good but it’s not much separation from what other non big 5 nations will send to this tournament if they don’t get help from NA.

The power play is a special environment which does not require much speed or strength, so it's not shocking that a 17 year old defenseman who projects to be an early 1st round pick can do well there against nations such as Austria or even Germany.

However, this Slovak team isn't making the quarter finals at the World Championships without some reinforcments from the NHL/AHL. Ideally, Nemec should be playing sheltered 3rd pairing minutes on 5 vs 5.

As for Germany, they should be getting reinforcements. Moritz Seider, whos is perhaps already good enough to play a top 4 role on defense in the NHL, is currently busy playing in the SHL finals. They have a few NHL/AHL players also who could join their WC roster. Slovakia handling themselves against a team Germany consisting of DEL players is no surprise. This is a Slovak team that has two of the leading scorers in the SHL this season, as well as players from the KHL and Liiga.

I agree that the Tipos Liga is probably underrated by many, but from what I've seen of it, the best teams are maybe on par with a middle team in HockeyAllsvenskan, while the worst teams are on par with the best leagues in Sweden's HockeyEttan (our third league). There's a few guys in Tipos Liga who could play in the SHL and not look out of place, but the majority of players are HockeyAllsvenskan or Hockeyettan level.

 

[Rusty7550]

The power play is a special environment which does not require much speed or strength, so it's not shocking that a 17 year old defenseman who projects to be an early 1st round pick can do well there against nations such as Austria or even Germany.

However, this Slovak team isn't making the quarter finals at the World Championships without some reinforcments from the NHL/AHL. Ideally, Nemec should be playing sheltered 3rd pairing minutes on 5 vs 5.

As for Germany, they should be getting reinforcements. Moritz Seider, whos is perhaps already good enough to play a top 4 role on defense in the NHL, is currently busy playing in the SHL finals. They have a few NHL/AHL players also who could join their WC roster. Slovakia handling themselves against a team Germany consisting of DEL players is no surprise. This is a Slovak team that has two of the leading scorers in the SHL this season, as well as players from the KHL and Liiga.

I agree that the Tipos Liga is probably underrated by many, but from what I've seen of it, the best teams are maybe on par with a middle team in HockeyAllsvenskan, while the worst teams are on par with the best leagues in Sweden's HockeyEttan (our third league). There's a few guys in Tipos Liga who could play in the SHL and not look out of place, but the majority of players are HockeyAllsvenskan or Hockeyettan level.

Hrivik, Cehlarik, Krištof, Regenda + champs from Czech didn't play vs Germany. They played their first game yesterday vs Austria. We are waiting for Gernat and Rosandic. Gernat should be huge boost for our PP. He was most productive defender in Czech league this season. Also we still have Pospisil and Skalicky in Liiga. + somebody from AHL/NHL. Honestly, I like this team even more than Team from 2019. Young, fast team with great forechecking, we just need to be more effective.

 

[Antiillafire]

If no NA players come over this is how I expect roster to shape up based on games so far. Although games against the czechs may change Ramsay’s mind.

Cehlárik - Hrivík - Slafkovsky
Liška - Krištof - Fominykh
Holešinský - Sukel - Regenda
Hrehorčák - Roman - Fasko-Rudas

Gernát - Grman
Ďaloga - Nemec
Rosandič - Knazko
Jánošík - Bučko

Konrad
Tomek

I do agree with @Elvs that it would be tall order to make the quarterfinals without any NA players. But I’m surprised by the hockey these players have played so far. Ramsay has really gotten the best out of them. As for Slafkovsky on the first line, I don’t think it’s much use for him to be on checking lines and Ramsay really likes his play. The Daloga-Nemec pairing will surely stay together.

 

[salamandra]

The power play is a special environment which does not require much speed or strength, so it's not shocking that a 17 year old defenseman who projects to be an early 1st round pick can do well there against nations such as Austria or even Germany.

However, this Slovak team isn't making the quarter finals at the World Championships without some reinforcments from the NHL/AHL. Ideally, Nemec should be playing sheltered 3rd pairing minutes on 5 vs 5.

As for Germany, they should be getting reinforcements. Moritz Seider, whos is perhaps already good enough to play a top 4 role on defense in the NHL, is currently busy playing in the SHL finals. They have a few NHL/AHL players also who could join their WC roster. Slovakia handling themselves against a team Germany consisting of DEL players is no surprise. This is a Slovak team that has two of the leading scorers in the SHL this season, as well as players from the KHL and Liiga.

I agree that the Tipos Liga is probably underrated by many, but from what I've seen of it, the best teams are maybe on par with a middle team in HockeyAllsvenskan, while the worst teams are on par with the best leagues in Sweden's HockeyEttan (our third league). There's a few guys in Tipos Liga who could play in the SHL and not look out of place, but the majority of players are HockeyAllsvenskan or Hockeyettan level.

Valtonen (coach of Michalovce) said that 6-8 teams from slovak league could easilly play the highest finnish league (Liiga). Slovak extraliga is extremely underrated. Slovak player Fominykh has only 4 points in tipsportliga, but
he was dominated and better like german players in the match with germans

 

[kudla]

Slovakia is going to be a tough team to play against, but we aren't making the QFs this year, again. I think it's a safe bet i'm going to make.

I agree that the Tipos Liga is probably underrated by many, but from what I've seen of it, the best teams are maybe on par with a middle team in HockeyAllsvenskan, while the worst teams are on par with the best leagues in Sweden's HockeyEttan (our third league). There's a few guys in Tipos Liga who could play in the SHL and not look out of place, but the majority of players are HockeyAllsvenskan or Hockeyettan level.

The league is probably somewhere at the level of Allsvenskan, comparing it to Hockeyettan is a bit too much.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Slovakia is going to be a tough team to play against, but we aren't making the QFs this year, again. I think it's a safe bet i'm going to make.

The league is probably somewhere at the level of Allsvenskan, comparing it to Hockeyettan is a bit too much.

lets ask valtonen, he coached in allsvenskan.

 

[stastny12]

The league is probably somewhere at the level of Allsvenskan, comparing it to Hockeyettan is a bit too much.

As a huge fan of our league I feel a little offended by this statement. On the other hand, this is another argument that the Slovak league is extremely underestimated. Not even the best players from Tipos Extraliga as Holesinsky or Fominykh were doing carousels in German and Austria´s defensive zone, while the top DEL-ers and EBEL-ers had been on the ice. That speaks for itself...

 

[Eye of Ra]

If Carl Ackered where slovak, would he be good enough to make this team?

 

[tobu]

If Carl Ackered where slovak, would he be good enough to make this team?

He would make the camp and the prep games, but afaik the only Slovak League D player that will make the final cut is Simon Nemec, a top 10 NHL draft prospect.

 

[stastny12]

If Carl Ackered where slovak, would he be good enough to make this team?

They would definitely give him a chance (in prep-games, at least). However, his game mainly benefits from the offensive abilities he has, so I think Ramsay would prefer Rosandic and Gernat over him.

 

[Antiillafire]

Lineup for second game against Austria. Cehlarik and Hrivik resting.

 

[Elvs]

Slovakia is going to be a tough team to play against, but we aren't making the QFs this year, again. I think it's a safe bet i'm going to make.

The league is probably somewhere at the level of Allsvenskan, comparing it to Hockeyettan is a bit too much.

The gap between the best teams in the HockeyEttan and the worst teams in HockeyAllsvenskan is quite small. Piteå, where I live, is constantly a good team in HockeyEttan, with usually a few players with SHL experience and some with allsvenskan experience. Simon Robertsson, who projects to be a 1st round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry draft, was even loaned here in the last couple of months of the season.

I've seen a few games of the Tipos Liga this season, especially early in the year, and my impression is that the league has some players who could play depth roles in the SHL, but also some players who wouldn't make my local team here in Piteå. Alex Vyhonsky, for example, was here on a try out some years ago. He didn't get the job.

Of course, part of that is also the fact that Swedish teams tend to favour home grown players. Vyhonsky is of course good enough for HockeyEttan, but he wouldn't have made Piteås 1st or 2nd line then. Today, he's older, and maybe he'd be playing a top six role here, but it's not a given.

The best HockeyEttan teams are MUCH better than the worst teams in the league though. There's a lot of blowouts early in the season, which is why the best teams move onto another stage after christmas.

Anyway, this is a sidetrack from the thread. My point is that Slovakia, outside of the NHL/AHL, barely have any good defensemen for the WC level. There's Cajkovsky, who won't participate this year and there's Gernat, who's seemingly took a huge step in Extraliga... But behind them... Guys like Janosik and Grman are fringe players in the SHL and Liiga, as was Daloga when he played here.

 

[Elvs]

I am curious, was there ever talks about Martin Reway being on this team? I noticed that he caught fire (production wise) during the second half of the season.

I also feel like Martin Bodak should've been on this team over Martin Bucko. The right side on defense is looking pretty set, unfortunately. Cernak is most likely going to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs for a while, which only leaves Christian Jaros as a possible addition. And based on his play this season, I'm not sure how much help he'd be.

The left side is defenitely looking stronger, with Gernat and Rosandic on the way in, and with Sekera as a possible addition.

 

[Rusty7550]

I am curious, was there ever talks about Martin Reway being on this team? I noticed that he caught fire (production wise) during the second half of the season.

I also feel like Martin Bodak should've been on this team over Martin Bucko. The right side on defense is looking pretty set, unfortunately. Cernak is most likely going to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs for a while, which only leaves Christian Jaros as a possible addition. And based on his play this season, I'm not sure how much help he'd be.

The left side is defenitely looking stronger, with Gernat and Rosandic on the way in, and with Sekera as a possible addition.

Reway condition/stamina is still questionable imo. Like you said, he had very good second half but there were games when he looked just tired. He still need time, at least one full season without injuries/health problems. About our defenders. Bodak was big disappointment this season in Nitra, it was his second full season in men's hockey, hopefully next season. Bucko is actually pleasant surprise for me, I saw all pre-tournament games and he's been very solid so far. Defensive defender, good on the PK, blocking shots, very similar player to Jaros in a lot of ways. When I mentioned Gernat, Rosandic also took that huge step this season in Czech league. And about Daloga. There are 2 Dalogas. One in the club and one in the national team. In national team, he's a beast. Its seems like Craig Ramsay is the only coach who knows how to use him. I also love Simon Nemec. He's been fantastic so far. 3 pts in 5 games.

 

[Antiillafire]

Reway condition/stamina is still questionable imo. Like you said, he had very good second half but there were games when he looked just tired. He still need time, at least one full season without injuries/health problems. About our defenders. Bodak was big disappointment this season in Nitra, it was his second full season in men's hockey, hopefully next season. Bucko is actually pleasant surprise for me, I saw all pre-tournament games and he's been very solid so far. Defensive defender, good on the PK, blocking shots, very similar player to Jaros in a lot of ways. When I mentioned Gernat, Rosandic also took that huge step this season in Czech league. And about Daloga. There are 2 Dalogas. One in the club and one in the national team. In national team, he's a beast. Its seems like Craig Ramsay is the only coach who knows how to use him. I also love Simon Nemec. He's been fantastic so far. 3 pts in 5 games.

Nemec could have had at least 2-3 assists in today’s game as well if attackers could finish. Ramsay is running both 17 year olds on the PP together. Slafkovsky set up on the half wall and Nemec as the point man.

 

[stastny12]

And about Daloga. There are 2 Dalogas. One in the club and one in the national team. In national team, he's a beast. Its seems like Craig Ramsay is the only coach who knows how to use him.

This !

 

[kudla]

The gap between the best teams in the HockeyEttan and the worst teams in HockeyAllsvenskan is quite small. Piteå, where I live, is constantly a good team in HockeyEttan, with usually a few players with SHL experience and some with allsvenskan experience. Simon Robertsson, who projects to be a 1st round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry draft, was even loaned here in the last couple of months of the season.

I've seen a few games of the Tipos Liga this season, especially early in the year, and my impression is that the league has some players who could play depth roles in the SHL, but also some players who wouldn't make my local team here in Piteå. Alex Vyhonsky, for example, was here on a try out some years ago. He didn't get the job.

Of course, part of that is also the fact that Swedish teams tend to favour home grown players. Vyhonsky is of course good enough for HockeyEttan, but he wouldn't have made Piteås 1st or 2nd line then. Today, he's older, and maybe he'd be playing a top six role here, but it's not a given.

The best HockeyEttan teams are MUCH better than the worst teams in the league though. There's a lot of blowouts early in the season, which is why the best teams move onto another stage after christmas.

Anyway, this is a sidetrack from the thread. My point is that Slovakia, outside of the NHL/AHL, barely have any good defensemen for the WC level. There's Cajkovsky, who won't participate this year and there's Gernat, who's seemingly took a huge step in Extraliga... But behind them... Guys like Janosik and Grman are fringe players in the SHL and Liiga, as was Daloga when he played here.

True, there are some 4th liners in our league, who wouldn't get a job in France. Vyhonsky for example, this guy was being made fun of by slovak posters all season. And there aren't really any good defensemen in it, Nemec is a top 3 D among slovaks... But overall the league has gotten better and is better than people think

 

[alko]

As for Slafkovsky on the first line, I don’t think it’s much use for him to be on checking lines and Ramsay really likes his play. The Daloga-Nemec pairing will surely stay together.

Exactly. I was impresed with him in teh first games. But now, the competition is for him much harder. Holesinky did a great job, Fomikhyn, even Regenda and others. There is lot guys, that played very well in games vs Austria. Slafkovsky is good, but now im starting to think, he should wait. Still, im sure, Satan will take him.

Guys like Janosik and Grman are fringe players in the SHL and Liiga, as was Daloga when he played here.

Janosik was lost in Finland. But Grman? He played top minutes in his team all season. He isnt a fringe guy i think.

And about Daloga. There are 2 Dalogas. One in the club and one in the national team. In national team, he's a beast. Its seems like Craig Ramsay is the only coach who knows how to use him.

I think, it is more about coaches in clubs. They dont know, how exactly they should use Daloga.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Reaching the QF with this team would be a surprise, but ultimately I don't believe that is the real goal here since there is no relegation and hence the real WC for Slovakia this year is the Olympics qualification. The real goal here is a rebuild, something that we have been (unsuccessfully) trying for a decade. Now it looks like we might finally have enough depth to build a core of a somewhat solid team (though obviously not absolutely top tier team) from our Euro players. They still need the experience and chance to grow as shown for example by their shooting efficiency and there is no better opportunity to let them do so on world stage than this year's IHWC. For the Olympics qualification we can actually talk about putting the best we can together at that moment, there is no need for that before this tourney though.

As for Nemec and Slafkovsky, they are in different situations. Nemec has much more experience in men's hockey than Slafkovsky, although it's "just" the Slovak league and therefore it isn't a surprise that he would be the one with the more consistent performance right now and even probably could easily play on the top 4 at the WC when paired with an experiences partner. But I do feel like people who are having doubts about taking Slafkovsky are missing the point with him a little bit. The chance that he will get the top line minutes at the WC as he was in the exhibition games in each and every game is not that big. It's not about him playing big minutes now, but more about showing trust and an investment into the future with the hopes that he will return it back in the future. After all, which players in the history of our NT where the most likely to show up to play whenever possible? It was usually the ones that were given a chance to play at the IHWC early in their careers. Look at a guy like Andrej Sekera who first played in the 2008 IHWC at 22 and he has showed up to 7 out of 12 IHWCs, I think that with 28 roster spots for skaters available, it would be a mistake not to include Slafkovsky this year even if his performance in exhibition games was inconsistent.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Though not 100% confirmed yet, there is a high chance that Adam Huska, Robert Lantosi and Marian Studenic will join the team next week.