Czechs in North America

Old Man Jags

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Tichacek staying in Kladno?? Hope thats not final and an NHL contract can still overthrow this. Still even if he dont go to NHL/AHL more probably, I would still assume he would sign in a much better team either in ELH or in some other euro league.

Him staying in Kladno would me mighty dissapointing tbh.
It would just be weird. We all know that Kladno will stay in relegation limbo next season as well, and the one after… Not a club for a player like that to develop further.
 

martygod12

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Oct 27, 2019
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So:

Stezka is coming to Brno
Zohorna is linked with NLA
Smejkal is linked with SHL

All three would suck if they end it in NA, but what can you do. Would much more like to see them at least returning to ELH to further increase the quality of the league, but what can you do.

Kubicek also returning, but that was predictable, and honestly the guy was miles from ever making it in the NHL, so its not such a loss.

On the other hand few more guys maybe coming yet:

Rychlovsky is very much linked with Detroit
Tomasek and Kase are in talks with NHL teams and I really think they will sign a contract somewhere. In the case of Kase it could be a real banger, cause he will get a 1way contract and some legit space in the NHL, so he can be one more regular NHLer for the next season no one was even thinking about and thats great.

And then we can probably also expect a couple of guys from CHL to sign contracts or move to AHL so we have that coming too.

Still a lot of guys exiting AHL again. Luckily majority are players who werent making any impact even in AHl, but those three above sucks. Hope Blumel will give it another shot and fight for NHL a bit more
 

Czechboy

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So:

Stezka is coming to Brno
Zohorna is linked with NLA
Smejkal is linked with SHL

All three would suck if they end it in NA, but what can you do. Would much more like to see them at least returning to ELH to further increase the quality of the league, but what can you do.

Kubicek also returning, but that was predictable, and honestly the guy was miles from ever making it in the NHL, so its not such a loss.

On the other hand few more guys maybe coming yet:

Rychlovsky is very much linked with Detroit
Tomasek and Kase are in talks with NHL teams and I really think they will sign a contract somewhere. In the case of Kase it could be a real banger, cause he will get a 1way contract and some legit space in the NHL, so he can be one more regular NHLer for the next season no one was even thinking about and thats great.

And then we can probably also expect a couple of guys from CHL to sign contracts or move to AHL so we have that coming too.

Still a lot of guys exiting AHL again. Luckily majority are players who werent making any impact even in AHl, but those three above sucks. Hope Blumel will give it another shot and fight for NHL a bit more
The trend I'm liking is that some decent 20 year olds are returning to Extraliga. I'd love that league to have some good and prominent players between the ages of 20 and 23. More the merrier.

Stezka sucks.. happy for Brno but felt he could've got some traction.
Zohorna tried.. bless him.. NLA will probably be great for him.
Smejkal was misused and really said he's not coming back. All 3 can help NT next season.

I was very high on Kubicek at one point.. I was really wrong.lol

Rychlovksy needs to ask some Czechs about Detroit... we all fail there.lol
Tomasek, I don't think, would make the NHL
Kase is definitely a full time player if he returns.

Blumel is tragic that he isn't in NHL. Hope he gets something but could see NLA as well. In his interview he saiid it's hard because Dallas has 13 guys signed to one way contracts every training camp. Time to move to a different club.

Guys I'm curious about will be Ivan, Marcel, Klapka, Pavel and Brabenec. I won't give up on Mysak until he's in ELH... love that guy!

Goalie wise.. maybe Dobes gets a game or 2 next season. Same with Suchanek. I mean a handful of games not like 30 games or anything.lol

Keeping a close eye on Hovorka, Svozil, Rousek and Kulich. Really curious if Spacek can turn this into a full time slot by Xmas?
 
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Czechboy

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Another signing. Not surprising.. curious where he goes next season!

I do think there is an NHLer here.
 

martygod12

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Oct 27, 2019
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Based on this kinda hope those rumours are not true. Zadina and Vrana are both still too good to return to Europe yet.
 

Czechboy

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Based on this kinda hope those rumours are not true. Zadina and Vrana are both still too good to return to Europe yet.
1717420346501.png


Not looking very good at all! Kubalik on a 1 year small contract. Nosek will be similar. Patera with a 2 way. Rest may be done. Zadina and Vrana are big question marks unfortunately.
 
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martygod12

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View attachment 879049

Not looking very good at all! Kubalik on a 1 year small contract. Nosek will be similar. Patera with a 2 way. Rest may be done. Zadina and Vrana are big question marks unfortunately.
I would put it in the groups:

Guys who are safe and get NHL contract: Necas, Hronek, Kubalik

Guys who can go either side but I would like them to stay: Vrana, Nosek, Patera, Zadina, Blumel, Klapka

Guys who will probably leave for europe and it sucks: Smejkal, Zohorna, Jenik

Guys who will probably leave too, but are so far from NHL it would not be much of a loss: Simek, Zboril, Raska

Really hope Vrana, Zadina and Blumel will continue in the NA.

Zohorna sucks if he is leaving, but I kinda get him. He give it a few years, and couldnt crack NHL permanently, so its better to dominate in Europe and probably for better money, then to drag himself in AHL whole career
 
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Czechboy

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I would put it in the groups:

Guys who are safe and get NHL contract: Necas, Hronek, Kubalik

Guys who can go either side but I would like them to stay: Vrana, Nosek, Patera, Zadina, Blumel, Klapka

Guys who will probably leave for europe and it sucks: Smejkal, Zohorna, Jenik

Guys who will probably leave too, but are so far from NHL it would not be much of a loss: Simek, Zboril, Raska

Really hope Vrana, Zadina and Blumel will continue in the NA.

Zohorna sucks if he is leaving, but I kinda get him. He give it a few years, and couldnt crack NHL permanently, so its better to dominate in Europe and probably for better money, then to drag himself in AHL whole career
Mine is jenik.. I will be so pissed when he leaves. Blumel I want to stay but he needs to get out of Dallas unfortunately. Vrana... PTO? I could see the sharks resigning zadina.
 

Czechboy

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Smejkal and Simek headed back to Extraliga. I don't follow the Extraliga very closely but it feels like the league is getting stronger.

Vozlenik off to NLA.

I don't see us having as strong a roster next year . All 3 could be good for NT
 
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martygod12

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Smejkal and Simek headed back to Extraliga. I don't follow the Extraliga very closely but it feels like the league is getting stronger.

Vozlenik off to NLA.

I don't see us having as strong a roster next year . All 3 could be good for NT
Smejkal sucks, I think he should have try to give it another year. Simek was very far from NHL at this point so it was a logical move. Good they went to ELH and not to SHL or NLA.

What sucks more is Benak going to USHL, another potential ELH youngster dissapearing. I am sadly seriously starting to have doubts he even make round 1.
 

Czechboy

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Smejkal sucks, I think he should have try to give it another year. Simek was very far from NHL at this point so it was a logical move. Good they went to ELH and not to SHL or NLA.

What sucks more is Benak going to USHL, another potential ELH youngster dissapearing. I am sadly seriously starting to have doubts he even make round 1.
I didn't know he was USHL bound. That's a great league for development if he is. He did seem to get worse this season and that makes no sense to me.
 

Czechboy

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While Googling it.. I noticed Tomas Machu is going to NCAA.. that is actually a great route for a late round pick to eke out an NHL career. I also noticed Krutil was not signed and is back in LIberec. That didn't surprise me but Nick Malik did. I really thought he'd make it further on his ELC. I never liked him much but he seemed promising.

So I thought I'd look at our drafted D and highlighted who I think might be our next gen. Not saying they'll all make the NHL... but we need a few guys to stick. Kral is back and trying which is encouraging. Hovorka signed too. Not sure if I missed any undrafted Czech D who still have a hope of NHL?

1718494268539.png


This draft should yield 3 more promising guys in top 100.. Jiricek, Fibigr and Badinka.

Slowly but surely, we may get some NHL d back in the pipeline.
 

martygod12

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Oct 27, 2019
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While Googling it.. I noticed Tomas Machu is going to NCAA.. that is actually a great route for a late round pick to eke out an NHL career. I also noticed Krutil was not signed and is back in LIberec. That didn't surprise me but Nick Malik did. I really thought he'd make it further on his ELC. I never liked him much but he seemed promising.

So I thought I'd look at our drafted D and highlighted who I think might be our next gen. Not saying they'll all make the NHL... but we need a few guys to stick. Kral is back and trying which is encouraging. Hovorka signed too. Not sure if I missed any undrafted Czech D who still have a hope of NHL?

View attachment 883168

This draft should yield 3 more promising guys in top 100.. Jiricek, Fibigr and Badinka.

Slowly but surely, we may get some NHL d back in the pipeline.
Tichacek for the undrafted D. And I would add T.Galvas from this draft and Mrtka with Cerny from the next one. Sure is a nice group, but we need majority of them to really make it and not flop, which will be hard lol

But… From men league to junior league, it's not a good look for Benak. Hopefully he will have a great season in the USHL.
He sadly is on a declining trajectory this whole season. Hope he can turn it around in his draft year, but he gets me worried very much.
 
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Voodoozz

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Tichacek for the undrafted D. And I would add T.Galvas from this draft and Mrtka with Cerny from the next one. Sure is a nice group, but we need majority of them to really make it and not flop, which will be hard lol


He sadly is on a declining trajectory this whole season. Hope he can turn it around in his draft year, but he gets me worried very much.
I wouldn't be so pesimistic about Benak's season. Many circumstances were going against him since Hlinka. Abysmal start to Pilsen's season, both the men squad and the juniors. He was going back and forth between different teams... U17 tournaments, U18 tournaments, no real stability for him. For what it's worth, he put up a very solid display in Extraliga, albeit not point-wise.

Could have easily been 0.5 ppg player with a few right bounces going his way and his teammates finishing. Very advanced two-way habits as well for a 16 year old (nice clip here with Jack Han talking about Benak's game). WJC18 was a tragic display by the entire team, including Benak, but that shit just happens in this category. So I'm not too worried. The work ethic - talent combo gives me confidence with Benak, even though it might be a longer journey for him because of his smaller size.

USHL should suit him well if he decides to go that way. Many first rounders from there every year and the Phantoms are a great organization for development from what I've read.
 

Czechboy

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2 way contract for 1 more year. Not good to be honest. 3rd year and still could be in AHL. Matej has become an elite tweener.
 
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martygod12

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2 way contract for 1 more year. Not good to be honest. 3rd year and still could be in AHL. Matej has become an elite tweener.

And I hoped for a different team ... but good that he is not giving up. I am still convinced he is an NHL player, would be shame if he returned to europe.
 
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Czechboy

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And I hoped for a different team ... but good that he is not giving up. I am still convinced he is an NHL player, would be shame if he returned to europe.
I looked at it and he's in tough... sure, 4 guys are leaving but they attract UFA's like crazy. Bourque is better than him too. Who knows what other picks they have.

Once you hit over 100 AHL games as a winger, it's not good. Get his ass to SJ!lol Obviously, if he makes the squad that would be amazing but I'm skeptical.

And yes, I think he is an NHL player who could do well.
 

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