LD Libor Hajek (2016, 37th, TBL; traded to NYR)

[The Macho King]

So many guys that were there got traded, so odd. Was impressed by his game at the tourney.

Isn't that fairly normal this time of year (for players on bad teams to get traded to good teams, especially when they're 19)?

 

[Babula]

I think so. Libor was the best Cze D-man on last WJC...

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Traded to NYR!

Can we get a change in thread title?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

When he was traded to the Rangers, he was advertised as the biggest piece of the deal and the McDonagh replacement by the Rangers and their mouthpieces in the media.

This season, he's been a bad AHL player, maybe an ECHL level player instead. Its still his first year in pro hockey, but I think Yzerman knew what he was doing refusing to give up Sergachyov and Foote, and offering up Hajek instead.

He's been making a lot of defensive errors, and he provides no offense. Lets hope he can improve.

 

[Lays]

When he was traded to the Rangers, he was advertised as the biggest piece of the deal and the McDonagh replacement by the Rangers and their mouthpieces in the media.

This season, he's been a bad AHL player, maybe an ECHL level player instead. Its still his first year in pro hockey, but I think Yzerman knew what he was doing refusing to give up Sergachyov and Foote, and offering up Hajek instead.

He's been making a lot of defensive errors, and he provides no offense. Lets hope he can improve.

How much have you watched of Hartford? This is a serious question I’m not knocking on you

Hajek hasn’t been producing but his defense has looked solid for the most part and he’s not an offensive oriented defenseman. I don’t think Yzerman offered up Hajek willingly either, Tampa was pretty high on him but the Rangers thought he’d be a top pairing defenseman. Hartford always feels wonky stat-wise. At least he was dominant in Traverse City

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Hajek has played for bad teams his entire career. Most were downright awful. Eventually, you break down and make more mistakes. He just turned 21. Give him another year.

Hartford is terrible. I’d like to see Hajek play with a good supporting cast before I judge his play.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

How much have you watched of Hartford? This is a serious question I’m not knocking on you

Hajek hasn’t been producing but his defense has looked solid for the most part and he’s not an offensive oriented defenseman. I don’t think Yzerman offered up Hajek willingly either, Tampa was pretty high on him but the Rangers thought he’d be a top pairing defenseman. Hartford always feels wonky stat-wise. At least he was dominant in Traverse City

Zero games of Hartford this season, but I've read the reports from those that are watching. You are the first person I've seen suggest he's playing well defensively. I saw him play some preseason games, and I thought he played well. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like he's carried that over to the AHL.

I'm not suggesting that Yzerman offered up Hajek specifically, but he did allow him to be traded, and from reports specifically didn't want to include Sergachyov or Foote. Gorton came out of the trade advertising Hajek as something he's not right now shown the potential to be. Did he ever show top-pairing potential? He's never put up offense anywhere, which I think is a symptom of lacking skill. If he was some terrific shutdown defensemen, maybe you could make the argument that he projects as a top-pairing defensemen, but he's been bad defensively from the reports in the AHL. He could turn it around and I think Hartford is a bad environment to develop in, but I don't know how anyone could try to paint this positively right now. It looks like Gorton got completely outsmarted on this player by Yzerman.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

How much have you watched of Hartford? This is a serious question I’m not knocking on you

Hajek hasn’t been producing but his defense has looked solid for the most part and he’s not an offensive oriented defenseman. I don’t think Yzerman offered up Hajek willingly either, Tampa was pretty high on him but the Rangers thought he’d be a top pairing defenseman. Hartford always feels wonky stat-wise. At least he was dominant in Traverse City

He hasn't watched a single game. He just makes up stuff as usual.

 

[Lays]

Zero games of Hartford this season, but I've read the reports from those that are watching. You are the first person I've seen suggest he's playing well defensively. I saw him play some preseason games, and I thought he played well. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like he's carried that over to the AHL.

I'm not suggesting that Yzerman offered up Hajek specifically, but he did allow him to be traded, and from reports specifically didn't want to include Sergachyov or Foote. Gorton came out of the trade advertising Hajek as something he's not right now shown the potential to be. Did he ever show top-pairing potential? He's never put up offense anywhere, which I think is a symptom of lacking skill. If he was some terrific shutdown defensemen, maybe you could make the argument that he projects as a top-pairing defensemen, but he's been bad defensively from the reports in the AHL. He could turn it around and I think Hartford is a bad environment to develop in, but I don't know how anyone could try to paint this positively right now. It looks like Gorton got completely outsmarted on this player by Yzerman.

He hasn’t been bad defensively and all reports I’ve seen about Hajek have been about his lack of offense. I’ve seen Hajek play a bit in Hartford and he looks fine. Look at Deangelo and Pionk’s numbers as defenseman in Hartford, hardly anything special. As I said earlier, Hajek isn’t an offensive dman, far from it. He’s a defensively oriented defenseman capable of moving the puck. He’s not a potential top pairing defenseman either though but I’d be very surprised if he weren’t an NHL-caliber defenseman

 

[QJL]

He hasn’t been bad defensively and all reports I’ve seen about Hajek have been about his lack of offense. I’ve seen Hajek play a bit in Hartford and he looks fine. Look at Deangelo and Pionk’s numbers as defenseman in Hartford, hardly anything special. As I said earlier, Hajek isn’t an offensive dman, far from it. He’s a defensively oriented defenseman capable of moving the puck. He’s not a potential top pairing defenseman either though but I’d be very surprised if he weren’t an NHL-caliber defenseman

I don't know where you're reading this. I've read he's been awful defensively. Have seen several clips like this.



I haven't watched much of the Pack this year but Adam tends to be accurate in his assessments and I believe he watches every game.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I don't know where you're reading this. I've read he's been awful defensively. Have seen several clips like this.



I haven't watched much of the Pack this year but Adam tends to be accurate in his assessments and I believe he watches every game.

It's settled. He is not an AHL defenseman because of a few yt clips. God forbid a rookie AHL defenseman makes a mistake

 

[QJL]

It's settled. He is not an AHL defenseman because of a few yt clips. God forbid a rookie AHL defenseman makes a mistake

That’s not what I said. I was sharing the clip. He doesn’t looks as NHL ready Rykov or Lindgren, two defenseman who started the year beneath him in most prospect rankings.

 

[Lays]

I don't know where you're reading this. I've read he's been awful defensively. Have seen several clips like this.



I haven't watched much of the Pack this year but Adam tends to be accurate in his assessments and I believe he watches every game.

Adam Herman is awful and I’d take anything he says with a grain of salt. Hajek hasn’t been perfect defensively obviously there has been growing pains but PB made it sound much worse than it actually is. Hajek’s fine, he’s not lighting up his respective league like some other hyped Ranger prospects but he’ll come around. He hasn’t been CLOSE to awful defensively and anyone who says that has likely watched 1/2 bad games and decided to make their judgement on that

 

[The Crypto Guy]

That’s not what I said. I was sharing the clip. He doesn’t looks as NHL ready Rykov or Lindgren, two defenseman who started the year beneath him in most prospect rankings.

Yea but prospect rankings don't usually just got by who is NHL ready. It's potential too, and he has more potential than both of them (esp Lindgren), Rykov i'm not going to comment because i have never watched, but i am very excited about reports out of Russia. But at the same time i've seen plenty of good KHL defenseman never even come close to hacking it in a smaller rink on NHL ice.

 

[QJL]

Adam Herman is awful and I’d take anything he says with a grain of salt. Hajek hasn’t been perfect defensively obviously there has been growing pains but PB made it sound much worse than it actually is. Hajek’s fine, he’s not lighting up his respective league like some other hyped Ranger prospects but he’ll come around. He hasn’t been CLOSE to awful defensively and anyone who says that has likely watched 1/2 bad games and decided to make their judgement on that

I think Adam has solid opinions. He’s also not the only one I’ve seen comment on Hajek’s rough year. Can you point me in the direction of what you have been reading?

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

Bigras was killing him when paired together, lots of husband & wife D going on(I thought *you* had it.)

He’s not bad position-wise for the most part, but can’t just rely on size and needs to work harder on lifting sticks and other little things. You would think these things would be pointed out and correctable by this point in the season, but it hasn’t happened.

 

[Everblades13]

As one of the people who advertised him as the best chip in the McDonagh deal, it is disappointing to hear of his struggles if they are legitimate.

I liked Howden a lot too, but Hajek just seemed so solid. Maybe not a super high ceiling, but I would've bet a lot that he'd at least end up a 2nd pairing guy.

Not that any of this means he can't still be that, obviously. I'm sure he still possesses the skills that made all of us so high on him in the first place. Just surprised to hear he hasn't been doing that well.

 

[Matz03]

I don't know where you're reading this. I've read he's been awful defensively. Have seen several clips like this.



I haven't watched much of the Pack this year but Adam tends to be accurate in his assessments and I believe he watches every game.

The only problem with "some" of the analysis like this is that I can pull out a couple of clips from a single game and paint Hedman or Burns as awful defensemen. If that's the picture you're trying to paint as a writer, you really should have much more than just a few clips, but really a complication of clips. I think shift by shift clips are better if you can't catch the player yourself. or Let's say you happen to catch a couple of "bad" games a prospect has and the conclusion is he must be bad.

And in saying all this, I'm disappointed in the season he's had thus far. He's had some pp time and not picking up points thus far doe make you wonder if his outlook is more of a 5-6-7 D man, and that's concerning if he was the "big" piece of the trade. Tampa has been good at drafting, but also not shy to trade away unproven talent they deem expendable.

 

[QJL]

The only problem with "some" of the analysis like this is that I can pull out a couple of clips from a single game and paint Hedman or Burns as awful defensemen. If that's the picture you're trying to paint as a writer, you really should have much more than just a few clips, but really a complication of clips. I think shift by shift clips are better if you can't catch the player yourself. or Let's say you happen to catch a couple of "bad" games a prospect has and the conclusion is he must be bad.

And in saying all this, I'm disappointed in the season he's had thus far. He's had some pp time and not picking up points thus far doe make you wonder if his outlook is more of a 5-6-7 D man, and that's concerning if he was the "big" piece of the trade. Tampa has been good at drafting, but also not shy to trade away unproven talent they deem expendable.

Agreed. I stated I haven’t watched much of Hartford, only two games and clips, and everything I’ve read on Hajek has been disappointing. I’m asking if there are respected writers saying otherwise as others have touted here.

 

[Matz03]

Agreed. I stated I haven’t watched much of Hartford, only two games and clips, and everything I’ve read on Hajek has been disappointing. I’m asking if there are respected writers saying otherwise as others have touted here.

In our own Hartford thread, a few guys who regularly catch games have posted more positive accounts of Hajek. Or at the least that they see an NHL player in him. The problem is that we don't have that many people who really cover Hartford closely and blog about it, and the info out of NYR is usually just pr fluff.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

In our own Hartford thread, a few guys who regularly catch games have posted more positive accounts of Hajek. Or at the least that they see an NHL player in him. The problem is that we don't have that many people who really cover Hartford closely and blog about it, and the info out of NYR is usually just pr fluff.

I don't think being an NHL player is a high bar for a player who is included as a major piece in a trade for your best player.

I don't know where anyone said he won't be an NHL'er, but what value does that add if he's a 5 or 6? Good teams are able to regularly sign/trade for those types of players, and then flip them when they don't need them anymore, a la McQuaid.

I actually remember one person who thought Hajek would play better hockey this season than McDonagh. I asked if they meant in the NHL because I wasn't even sure Hajek would be an NHL'er this year and it sounded like one of the most insane things I've read on this website, and that person was serious that Hajek would be a better NHL'er this season than McDonagh.

The issue comes when Hajek cannot live up to the value he was assigned in the trade. McIlrath wasn't a bust when he failed to hold a spot in the NHL as a 6th defensemen. He was a bust when he failed to become a top 4 NHL'er, which is what you expect from a top 10 pick defenseman. I'm not going to call him a bust yet, but the same could eventually be said about Andersson. He's getting close to the point where he reaches that same threshold, whether he can hold an eventual NHL role. "Getting an NHL player" when you assigned huge value to that asset is not enough.

 

[Matz03]

I don't think being an NHL player is a high bar for a player who is included as a major piece in a trade for your best player.

I don't know where anyone said he won't be an NHL'er, but what value does that add if he's a 5 or 6? Good teams are able to regularly sign/trade for those types of players, and then flip them when they don't need them anymore, a la McQuaid.

I actually remember one person who thought Hajek would play better hockey this season than McDonagh. I asked if they meant in the NHL because I wasn't even sure Hajek would be an NHL'er this year and it sounded like one of the most insane things I've read on this website, and that person was serious that Hajek would be a better NHL'er this season than McDonagh.

The issue comes when Hajek cannot live up to the value he was assigned in the trade. McIlrath wasn't a bust when he failed to hold a spot in the NHL as a 6th defensemen. He was a bust when he failed to become a top 4 NHL'er, which is what you expect from a top 10 pick defenseman. I'm not going to call him a bust yet, but the same could eventually be said about Andersson. He's getting close to the point where he reaches that same threshold, whether he can hold an eventual NHL role. "Getting an NHL player" when you assigned huge value to that asset is not enough.

I don't have any disagreements with your take here. No doubt at this moment and just stat surfing things don't look so good for Hajek at all. He was never a point producer so I'm most interested in how he's performed in his own end, are there areas he's improving on since the start, what is he struggling with? I don't have an answer to these as I haven't watched him and we only have a handful of takes thus far. I do know a few who have written about him lately were never impressed with him as a prospect since we acquired him, and I'm more skeptical of updates like that since they're were already biased again him. So hopefully we can see more opinions written about his play.

 

[Newsworthy]

Not for nothing but I remember his draft year. He was talked about early on and seemed to fade pretty fast. Never an offensive player but real good size. Not a great skater. Was at first projected to go late first than in the second rd and than possible falling out of rd 2 completely. Opinions of him were all over the place and Yzerman decided to take a shot in the second rd with him regardless.
Kind of a gamble but why not?
So not surprised by his current play.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

So he was just called up...which surprises me because I am pretty sure he Rangers are already playing 7 D's regularly.

 

[Lays]

So he was just called up...which surprises me because I am pretty sure he Rangers are already playing 7 D's regularly.

This was to get a look at him away from Hartford which is a mess as usual. Thought Lindgren would be called up sooner too, I remember Lindgren saying management told him it wasn’t a demotion when he got sent back down. Excited to see how Hajek plays