Czechs in North America

[Czechboy]

Well so some of our possible 2024 draft youth prospects going to CHL... Samuel Drancak to Red Deer, Lukas Kral to Spokane and Adam Jecho do Edmonton Oil Kings. What do you think about this? Think it can help them to develop better before draft? Our U18 certainly took a hit with this ..

I am especially curious how Jecho will do there. He can be a second round pick, maybe even late first if he has a good season there, but that will be hard.

You have to be a first rounder to get 8 minutes a night in extraliga. If you're not a first rounder and your options are U20 Czech or CHL... You practice English and get your ass on that plane!

 

[martygod12]

You have to be a first rounder to get 8 minutes a night in extraliga. If you're not a first rounder and your options are U20 Czech or CHL... You practice English and get your ass on that plane!

Yeah sadly its the better variant for our youth guys currently. Bad thing is that NT is really suffering from this, cause those guys are unavailable during the year at all the tournaments and lot of them also at U18 wch, in contrast of that Swedes and Finns are always stacked cause majority of their prospects are playing at home.

 

[martygod12]

I also imagined it a little differently..
The only player from the recent past who made it and wasn't from the first round was Hronek (if I'm not mistaken and he didn't forget anyone). On the other hand, several crashes from the first round.. This did not happen to the Swiss, for example (even though there were few players, but they all made it and are stars...).

Depending on how far you want to go. Hronek was 2016 so if you go even bit further and take lets say last ten years you can also add Kubalik, Vanecek and Vejmelka plus add undrafted Kampf. And Kase and Simon, who are not in the NHL anymore but had 200+ games played, so thats a decent amount.

As for first round flops I would say that so far only Zboril and Kaut are flops. Other guys are still activelly playing and even Zadina can still turn in around and be at least NHL regular. But Hertl, Pasta, Necas, Vrana are top players and Zacha, Chytil are slowly becoming ones too, Faksa also has his solid place in the NHL.

But agree that compared to the number of picks we had and swiss had in the last ten years, it should have definitely be much more guys from our side.

Still I am an optimist and if I do not count first round picks from recent years there is a bunch of guys who can make it. Dostal, Lauko, Blumel, Rousek, Svozil, Brabenec, Sapovaliv, Spacek, Hrabal, Dvorak .... so maybe it will get better in the following years ....

As always with czech hockey in the last 15 or so years, all we can do is hope that it will get better lol

 

[Czechboy]

Depending on how far you want to go. Hronek was 2016 so if you go even bit further and take lets say last ten years you can also add Kubalik, Vanecek and Vejmelka plus add undrafted Kampf. And Kase and Simon, who are not in the NHL anymore but had 200+ games played, so thats a decent amount.

As for first round flops I would say that so far only Zboril and Kaut are flops. Other guys are still activelly playing and even Zadina can still turn in around and be at least NHL regular. But Hertl, Pasta, Necas, Vrana are top players and Zacha, Chytil are slowly becoming ones too, Faksa also has his solid place in the NHL.

But agree that compared to the number of picks we had and swiss had in the last ten years, it should have definitely be much more guys from our side.

Still I am an optimist and if I do not count first round picks from recent years there is a bunch of guys who can make it. Dostal, Lauko, Blumel, Rousek, Svozil, Brabenec, Sapovaliv, Spacek, Hrabal, Dvorak .... so maybe it will get better in the following years ....

As always with czech hockey in the last 15 or so years, all we can do is hope that it will get better lol

And jenik!

 

[Czechboy]

Depending on how far you want to go. Hronek was 2016 so if you go even bit further and take lets say last ten years you can also add Kubalik, Vanecek and Vejmelka plus add undrafted Kampf. And Kase and Simon, who are not in the NHL anymore but had 200+ games played, so thats a decent amount.

As for first round flops I would say that so far only Zboril and Kaut are flops. Other guys are still activelly playing and even Zadina can still turn in around and be at least NHL regular. But Hertl, Pasta, Necas, Vrana are top players and Zacha, Chytil are slowly becoming ones too, Faksa also has his solid place in the NHL.

But agree that compared to the number of picks we had and swiss had in the last ten years, it should have definitely be much more guys from our side.

Still I am an optimist and if I do not count first round picks from recent years there is a bunch of guys who can make it. Dostal, Lauko, Blumel, Rousek, Svozil, Brabenec, Sapovaliv, Spacek, Hrabal, Dvorak .... so maybe it will get better in the following years ....

As always with czech hockey in the last 15 or so years, all we can do is hope that it will get better lol

It's awful for U18 and U20... I'd love it if they stayed.

 

[pgfan66]

You have to be a first rounder to get 8 minutes a night in extraliga. If you're not a first rounder and your options are U20 Czech or CHL... You practice English and get your ass on that plane!

Yeah sadly its the better variant for our youth guys currently. Bad thing is that NT is really suffering from this, cause those guys are unavailable during the year at all the tournaments and lot of them also at U18 wch, in contrast of that Swedes and Finns are always stacked cause majority of their prospects are playing at home.

Really interesting to hear you guys say this because I have the same opinion and it applies to Slovaks, Germans and Swiss too. Yet for some reason I get into arguments with Swiss posters here all the time because they think staying in Switzerland and playing U20 is better than the CHL. And I’d argue that the Czech U20 league is a step above the Swiss U20 league.

 

[Czechboy]

Really interesting to hear you guys say this because I have the same opinion and it applies to Slovaks, Germans and Swiss too. Yet for some reason I get into arguments with Swiss posters here all the time because they think staying in Switzerland and playing U20 is better than the CHL. And I’d argue that the Czech U20 league is a step above the Swiss U20 league.

Our U20 is real bad.... No fans..not many guys get drafted out of it. If you are 19 and in Czech U20... Something went wrong.

They were on the right track with narrowing teams.. they should also narrow the rink to CHL size.

None of this will happen and they've probably explained while I typed this

 

[pgfan66]

Our U20 is real bad.... No fans..not many guys get drafted out of it. If you are 19 and in Czech U20... Something went wrong.

They were on the right track with narrowing teams.. they should also narrow the rink to CHL size.

None of this will happen and they've probably explained while I typed this

Same as Germany and Switzerland. Exactly the same.

 

[Czechboy]

I was babbling about this somewhere else.

With Krejci done in NHL and after the World's. We don't really have a legit pair of Top 6 C's to my eye.

I don't even see any in the pipe.

By legit Top 6C I mean one that gets points and produces at the NHL level.

Hertl is our best once Krejci is done.

After that? Is Necas really a C? Not that I want him on any NT but I'm not sure Zacha is a C you build around. Winger for sure. Maybe Chytil but he's currently a 3C.

Any young ones coming up? Benak is years away. Kulich looks like a winger. Sapo looks amazing but not a point producer.

 

[Czechboy]

Jeník v Arizoně (asi) skončí. Jaké má možnosti? | Hokej.cz - web českého hokeje

This sucks... Not surprised by I loved jenik. None of this sounds promising. He's the next Michael spacek

 

[Czechboy]

Draft, teď profi smlouva! Český talent podepsal ve Švýcarsku | Hokej.cz - web českého hokeje

Interesting NHL route.. wonder if he has an NHL out?

 

[martygod12]

Jeník v Arizoně (asi) skončí. Jaké má možnosti? | Hokej.cz - web českého hokeje

This sucks... Not surprised by I loved jenik. None of this sounds promising. He's the next Michael spacek

Yeah it sucks, I always thought he can make it ... on the other side our Euro NT squad is getting some really interesting players for the upcoming season and thats a good thing. And there is still plenty of our guys battling for NHL and more of them coming that way in a near future, so its not end of the world.

 

[Czechboy]

Yeah it sucks, I always thought he can make it ... on the other side our Euro NT squad is getting some really interesting players for the upcoming season and thats a good thing. And there is still plenty of our guys battling for NHL and more of them coming that way in a near future, so its not end of the world.

Losing him and kaut in one season hurts me... Hajek probably too. Then galvas and Kral. Soon it will be skarek and zboril.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

Jeník v Arizoně (asi) skončí. Jaké má možnosti? | Hokej.cz - web českého hokeje

This sucks... Not surprised by I loved jenik. None of this sounds promising. He's the next Michael spacek

Translation, please?

 

[Czechboy]

Translation, please?

He has several options and they all suck.lol

Turned down his qualifying offer .. if he waits till xmas he is UFA and can sign anywhere. Has offers on Europe but wants NHL. Is far down the C depth chart in Arizona after some signings.

So he seems done in Arizona... But they own his rights.

Ftr... Google translate to English works very well for this article. .just do that and read the 1 to 6 options... They will make sense.

Apologies for not offering a translation...

 

[Colt.45Orr]

He has several options and they all suck.lol

Turned down his qualifying offer .. if he waits till xmas he is UFA and can sign anywhere. Has offers on Europe but wants NHL. Is far down the C depth chart in Arizona after some signings.

So he seems done in Arizona... But they own his rights.

Ftr... Google translate to English works very well for this article. .just do that and read the 1 to 6 options... They will make sense.

Apologies for not offering a translation...

Thanks so much! I've always liked the prospect and felt ge wasn't given a fair shake in Arizona.

 

[Czechboy]

Your welcome...what bugs me is that I love him and he's a C... We desperately need some NHL C's...he was supposed to be one! Might still happen of course but it feels like a stretch today. Hope dies last... Unlike other struggling Czechs.. I rarely read a bad thing about him.

 

[martygod12]

Jakub Fibigr just signed in the OHL (Mississauga Steelheads) .. so thats another good prospect in NA. Not sure what happened, I mean we always had a lot of prospects favouring CHL over Extraliga/U20 .. but this year it seem like 90% of our U18 propects are running to Canada lol.

Is it maybe that with the succes of U20 at WJC which consisted and dependet a lot on NA guys, our prospects feels like its a good move for their developlment and they can grow much more in Canada?

This can definitely be true and playing in CHL rather then our U20 or few games in Extraliga/Chance Liga can be much better for player development and I get it.

On the other hand, who will play for U18 throughout the year now lol? We must definitely be prepared for a lot of smacking from Swedes and Finns since they have most of their prospects available

 

[Czechboy]

Jakub Fibigr just signed in the OHL (Mississauga Steelheads) .. so thats another good prospect in NA. Not sure what happened, I mean we always had a lot of prospects favouring CHL over Extraliga/U20 .. but this year it seem like 90% of our U18 propects are running to Canada lol.

Is it maybe that with the succes of U20 at WJC which consisted and dependet a lot on NA guys, our prospects feels like its a good move for their developlment and they can grow much more in Canada?

This can definitely be true and playing in CHL rather then our U20 or few games in Extraliga/Chance Liga can be much better for player development and I get it.

On the other hand, who will play for U18 throughout the year now lol? We must definitely be prepared for a lot of smacking from Swedes and Finns since they have most of their prospects available

Oh big time.. those 4 and 5 nation euro tourneys will sting.

I hope this sends a strong message to the extraliga owners and the Czech hockey federation.

Curious if this increases our draft picks though or if these guys disappear in the CHL and go undrafted?

I just wish we were like Finland and Sweden and they'd all stay home. I'd love that. My dream is no Czechs in CHL at all. I also dream we reduce our rinks to NHL size. None of this is happening though.

I liked fibigr a lot and our D pipe is looking nice!

Hadamczak says the Junior League will be much better and more competitive... If he's right (I don't trust him) then maybe the next generation of guys will stay.

For now... Unless you can get regular extraliga minutes.. time to go.

It could be argued the guys that stayed are better than the guys that left. Jiricek, Kulich, svozil, sale and Necas. Further back Hronek and Hertl.

Of course then you get pasta, Vrana, Voracek.

Zacha and zadina left and got drafted high but struggled.

Still hoping sale makes AHL. I think I'm the only one though.lol

 

[martygod12]

So Jenik signed in Arizona after all. Last chance for the NHL?

 

[Goodman68]

So Jenik signed in Arizona after all. Last chance for the NHL?

Almost certainly yes. We all expected more from him..

 

[Czechboy]

So Jenik signed in Arizona after all. Last chance for the NHL?

To my eye... his best case scenario

1. Have a good camp and get noticed
2. get cut from roster
3. put on waivers
4. some team noticed him and picks him up and gives him a chance

One of my fav prospects and still not a full timer. He's a C and that's exactly what we need. He may be the next Spacek!

 

[martygod12]

So do we have some list of all czech players in the preseason rosters anywhere?

 

[Czechboy]

So do we have some list of all czech players in the preseason rosters anywhere?

When I see it, I'll post it along with all my predictions.

FTR.. my last 2 years of doing this absolutely had Zadina, Kaut, Galvas, Zboril, Jenik and Kral all as full timers starting this year. I may end up being 0 for 6 and Hajek is hanging on by a thread too!

Despite our D situation improving considerably at the pre NHL level... our NHL level is, most likely, going to be worse this season. Hronek with a good season seems possible. Gudas with a 'Gudas' season seems very likely. Rutta and Simek should be 'fine'. That's about it.

We appear to be 2 years away from having 6 good D in the NHL and maybe more :-(

Losing Kempny, Hajek, Zboril, Masin, Musil, Galvas, Kral, Klok, Knot, Sklenicka and even Sustr to Europe/AHL etc instead of NHL careers just destroyed us. That is a lot of NHL busts!

 

[Czechboy]

I assume the regular season has begun and some of my favs are doing well right away...