D Radim Mrtka - Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL (Draft 2025)

[HuGort]

Early 2025 draft rankings coming out. Mrtka is 15 here:

Preliminary 2025 NHL Draft Rankings - Smaht Scouting

The Smaht Scouting team put together their preliminary top 32 prospects and honorable mentions for the 2025 NHL Draft.

smahtscouting.com

12 in another ranking:

MSN

Montreal like to get him with Flames pick.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

That's what makes scouting so chaotic: we see two different players And it's not to have an argument or try to prove anything, I just find interesting to compare our observations that clearly don't go in the same direction. In the 7 full games I've watched and tracked of Mrtka, he was struggling under pressure and panicked a lot with the puck. I recognize he has a decent mobility, but I've never seen a "phenomenal" one with him. I like his four-way mobility, but he does not seem as fluid as Silayev or Simashev overall. His strides are short and choppy. His balance, pivots and backward skating were also an issue in some of my viewings. There were some "high-end" flashes, but the red flags were more frequent in the games I've watched.

If Mrtka has a phenomenal mobility, how would rate other big-bodied mobile D's such as Fiddler, Wang and Bedkowski? I'm just curious, because to me they are better skaters than Mrtka

And, once again, I think he's going to get drafted early, I think we all agree on this.

I felt that Mrtka’s game was difficult to assess overall in Czechia but I always liked his mobility. In his most recent games in Seattle, I’ve liked him a lot, including his game tonight. I’ve seen multiple instances when faced with pressure, he responds with patience and confidence in his ability to move the puck and utilize his mobility to maintain puck possession. Along with that, he’s put in all situations. First PK and PP. I’m sure the transition to NA is causing some inconsistencies in his play, but the ability is certainly there. I won’t die on a hill defending this though as I may have just seen good games or noticed good moments as opposed to bad.

You’ve described his skating as choppy, however I think due to his size his stride may just seem a bit awkward. His ability to get around the ice is really impressive to me. I feel like Fiddler is certainly not in the same category in regard to overall mobility and certainly not straight line speed. However, I think the overall dexterity and agility of Mrtka along with his massive frame is the most appealing factor in his game. I also feel like his two-way game is definitely appealing with his puck distribution still maybe being a bit underrated.

Comparing Mrtka to Wang at this point is difficult because Wang is a much longer term project in my eyes. Mrtka has played at a much higher level of competition and is certainly more refined. Blake Fiddler is a really good defensive defender but I do question his offensive upside despite his early offensive numbers. I have not seen enough of David Bedkowski to form a meaningful opinion.

I have to agree that Dmitri Simashev’s mobility, without a doubt, is more impressive.