Recent campaigns for both Svozil and Knazko have gone pretty much according to expectations in my view.
I've seen about 1/5 of Svozil's games this season, both WJC games for Team Czechia and handful of Pats games in WHL. He was 6th in scoring for Regina (10-31-41 in 59gp), played on the 2nd pairing almost all year, PP2 qb, PK1&2 defender, usually the 6th man on ice in the final minutes when Pats were trailing and decided to pull their goalie. It's not a super impressive season if you just look at the stats, but when you take into account the lack of support on a poor team and the challenges of adjusting to NA hockey/new culture/different language/travelling between games in WHL etc., I guess he did alright after all.
He looked smart and poised in all situations, did a lot of same good things that we saw in Traverse city and in CBJ camp. Much like with 99% of hockey prospects, the most important step for him is just to get stronger and quicker. I like where he is right now in his development, I'm confident that he will take those needed steps in the next couple of years.
Very particular thing about his game that kept bugging me was his habit to sometimes play too casually in DZ. He wasn't always reacting quickly to situations when there was for example a loose puck in the slot after a blocked shot, or if the puck took a weird bounce off the boards and ended up on opposing player's stick. He doesn't always go right at the puck carrier (or the player he has to cover) and try to check him off the puck like Gavrikov. His DZ defending reminds me a lot more of Werenski than those aggressive defensive dmen who always want to take away time and space from opponents immediately. I don't know if that's his style of play, or has it something to do with undeveloped physique/lack of condition, and in those situations he just wants to wait and save energy for more crucial play. Whatever the case is with that habit, I want to see it cleaned up.
Knazko's WHL team in Seattle advanced to 2nd round in the playoffs so his season isn't over yet. This spring I have seen 5-6 Thunderbirds games. Knazko has been on left side in 2nd-pair and a PP2 QB, with some PK responsibility as well.
If Svozil has to take one step forward in his skating speed to get ready for NHL, Knazko has to take at least 2 or 3. I've seen him getting into trouble in puck retrievals and zone exits when he decides to stop skating as he has puck on his stick or is about to receive the puck from his D partner. If doesn't find a passing option right away while stanging still, he is forced to accelerate and try to carry puck out of the zone. The problem is he isn't fast enough to beat forecheckers in a skating race. He can somehow survive at that level of competition with his skating flaws but there's no way he could continue doing that stop-and-start-in-DZ stuff in the NHL.
He also needs to be stronger on skates. Falls kind of easily, and too often, although his balance has looked better than earlier in the year at WJC. He likes to lay hits so I wouldn't call him a soft player. Balance/physicality is not one of his strengths, but it doesn't look as concerning at the moment as the skating speed. Defensive game apart from physical play seemed ok in my mind. Not great, not terrible.
Passing game has looked very great. He's able to make sharp and nifty passes with both forehand and backhand. Those skills come in handy on the PP. If he's going to play a full season with the Jackets sometime in the future - and I'm doubtful he will - that's an area where he's going to shine.
