Slovak prospects - Top 10 rankings (updated July 3rd)

[Antiillafire]

Obviously it was an exceptional tournament for us, despite the disappointment in the gold medal match. Those 2 late goals in the first period broke the team down.

In terms of the players and how I thought they did, I will go through a few. Dvorsky: Our best forward, even though he had no points in the final he created several chances. He’s back next year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he broke the point record than. Mesar: I thought he was very consistent and our second best forward. Slafkovsky: To me he was a bit disappointing despite the stats, he seemed disengaged shift to shift and was not moving his feet as much as I would have liked. Molnar: Exceptional tournament, nothing more to say other than this guy is gonna be very good. Ciernik: Pleasant surprise, good skater and luck handling. Needs to improve strength. Petrovsky, Zlnka, Sykora: Slower start but they turned it on last 2 games, good 2 way play. 4th line: Started off very bad but improved as tournament went along, I wish Gabriel would have been there however.

Defense. Nemec: Great, one of the top defenders of the tournament. Not much more to say. Kmec: Pleasantly surprised, he will fit perfectly in WHL and I wouldn’t be surprised if he challenged for WJC spot. His toughness is exactly what the doctor ordered for WJC team. Mosko: Was really good but struggled a lot against Russia. If he can improve his decision making I think he will be solid. Strbak: Excellent tournament from the underager. I believe he is at the level of Knazko at the same age, maybe even little better. Zabka: Liked his play too, but like with Mosko needs to improve decision making.

And for goaltending I don’t think there is much to say other than Elias was great up until last game. Even than most of the goals were either terrible defensive coverage or terrible turnovers by Slovak skaters.

The WJC camp is gonna be very fun to watch.

 

[Rusty7550]

Obviously it was an exceptional tournament for us, despite the disappointment in the gold medal match. Those 2 late goals in the first period broke the team down.

In terms of the players and how I thought they did, I will go through a few. Dvorsky: Our best forward, even though he had no points in the final he created several chances. He’s back next year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he broke the point record than. Mesar: I thought he was very consistent and our second best forward. Slafkovsky: To me he was a bit disappointing despite the stats, he seemed disengaged shift to shift and was not moving his feet as much as I would have liked. Molnar: Exceptional tournament, nothing more to say other than this guy is gonna be very good. Ciernik: Pleasant surprise, good skater and luck handling. Needs to improve strength. Petrovsky, Zlnka, Sykora: Slower start but they turned it on last 2 games, good 2 way play. 4th line: Started off very bad but improved as tournament went along, I wish Gabriel would have been there however.

Defense. Nemec: Great, one of the top defenders of the tournament. Not much more to say. Kmec: Pleasantly surprised, he will fit perfectly in WHL and I wouldn’t be surprised if he challenged for WJC spot. His toughness is exactly what the doctor ordered for WJC team. Mosko: Was really good but struggled a lot against Russia. If he can improve his decision making I think he will be solid. Strbak: Excellent tournament from the underager. I believe he is at the level of Knazko at the same age, maybe even little better. Zabka: Liked his play too, but like with Mosko needs to improve decision making.

And for goaltending I don’t think there is much to say other than Elias was great up until last game. Even than most of the goals were either terrible defensive coverage or terrible turnovers by Slovak skaters.

The WJC camp is gonna be very fun to watch.

Basically, except Kopecky, our whole team was great

 

[Faterson]

Slafkovsky: To me he was a bit disappointing despite the stats, he seemed disengaged shift to shift and was not moving his feet as much as I would have liked.

That's too harsh. Slafkovský is very tall, and with tall players, the visual impression is often created as if they were skating slowly/lazily. (Some even say that about Byfield, for example.)

 

[Martinez89]

I also think this is too critical to Slafkovsky. I agree, he is inconsistent but sometimes he can dominate like no other. Huge upside, potential NHL star which isn´t a Mesar´s case. Mesar seemed like a 1st rounder here but Slafkovsky is a top 10 pick at least.

 

[kudla]

That's too harsh. Slafkovský is very tall, and with tall players, the visual impression is often created as if they were skating slowly/lazily. (Some even say that about Byfield, for example.)

But it's true, he needs to improve his skating (it can get better) and his shot & finishing. Then we can talk about top 20 considerations. He's got outstanding hockey talent, but not outstanding tools in my opinion.

 

[Rusty7550]

That's too harsh. Slafkovský is very tall, and with tall players, the visual impression is often created as if they were skating slowly/lazily. (Some even say that about Byfield, for example.)

I liked Juraj. He played great all-around game. Coaches used him on the PK too. He had shifts during the PK when he was able to kill so much time thanks to his size, reach and stickhandling. It was so fun to watch. Obviously he still needs to work on a lot of things (just like every 17 yo prospects in the world) but his upside is really huge.

 

[Faterson]

But it's true, he needs to improve his skating (it can get better) and his shot & finishing. Then we can talk about top 20 considerations. He's got outstanding hockey talent, but not outstanding tools in my opinion.

I see no issues with Slafkovský's skating (on the contrary!), but he definitely needs to improve his finishing.

Anyway, the draft season can go completely wrong for our supposed "first-round" NHL draft stars, if they succumb to the typical Slovak national sin: complacency (sebauspokojenie). Let's hope that they are exceptional in this respect, too – that they will not succumb to it. In that regard, today's debacle against Russia may even have been beneficial.

 

[Antiillafire]

I also think this is too critical to Slafkovsky. I agree, he is inconsistent but sometimes he can dominate like no other. Huge upside, potential NHL star which isn´t a Mesar´s case. Mesar seemed like a 1st rounder here but Slafkovsky is a top 10 pick at least.

He needs to start taking every shift seriously than, which he didn’t during this tournament. I love Slaf and think he’s gonna be a top 10 pick too but he does have a lot to work on. I compare him this tournament to Miroshnicenko and he was better than slaf. Every shift he was on and dominating.

 

[Rusty7550]

Btw Simon Nemec was MVP right? What a tournament for him. Not only great player but very good, smart kid too

 

[hockey2015]

Jury Slafkovsky - Dominates. It will be changed by the organization. He is still 17 years old.

 

[Martinez89]

He needs to start taking every shift seriously than, which he didn’t during this tournament. I love Slaf and think he’s gonna be a top 10 pick too but he does have a lot to work on. I compare him this tournament to Miroshnicenko and he was better than slaf. Every shift he was on and dominating.

Absolutely. Agree with all of this.

Inconsistency. This is the key for Slaf and it´s a common problem for a such young player. What I noticed is the fact when he had a weaker game always he knew about it and next game he bounced back, always. But after 1-2 better games this repeated again and again.

You said Miroshnichenko was every shift on and had a overall better tournament than Slaf which is true, Miroshnichenko was more consistent. But when Slafkovsky is on he can be more impactful player than Miro AINEC.

 

[alko]

Mesar: I thought he was very consistent and our second best forward.

He was great. His moves, stickhandling, skating... Just like Ziggy Palffy.

 

[hellwar9]

Personally, I really liked Adam Zlnka. It's a pity that he was ill before the tournament and he got into it slowly. Skating at the top world level and a pretty solid skill. I'm really curious about his season.

 

[JotAlan]

This U18 team is really fun to watch. Really the whole first 3 offensive lines could be drafted (Slafkovsky, Repcik, Mesar, Zlnka, Petrovsky, Sykora, Molnar, Dvorsky, Ciernik). And I would add Gabriel to them, who unfortunately (we all know why) didn't make team. And from them even Slafkovsky, Mesar, Dvorsky, Molnar in the first round and maybe also Ciernik who knows. A really unbelievable generation and it's a pity that on WC U18, we are in a lower division.

I'm already looking to the next season and in this topic the current draft + the following two are discussed, so I would write the 10 best Slovak names for draft 2024 for now, which are worth watching next season, even though only Jakub Chromiak currently has real chance for draft for now.

1.Jakub Chromiak
2.Andrej Tomasec
3.Andrej Fabian Licko
4.Jozef Silhar
5.Tobias Faith
6.Theo Kiss
7.Markus Saxa
8.Peter Kovac
9.Dominik Drapak
10.Michal Liscinsky

Does the under18 team have a selection order? If yes, how does it work? Do any of these 06 have a chance to enter and play in the second division or is it already confirmed?

 

[Antiillafire]

Does the under18 team have a selection order? If yes, how does it work? Do any of these 06 have a chance to enter and play in the second division or is it already confirmed?

I’m not sure if they already have a roster set, I’m guessing they will wait until after the upcoming u17 tournament finishes to see. I expect some of the 05s to be drawn into the program and wonder if results of recent HGC may draw some players who went to Scandinavia back to Slovakia, it seems unlikely though. Players who I think will be there: J. Chromiak, Eperjesi, Zabka, Ridzon, Suchy, Misiak, Zöld, Dej, Urban. Those are returning guys. They could draw other guys like Kurila into it and than 2006 borns that @hellwar9 listed. I expect this team to be weaker than last years squad. One positive is that they will get a full season of matches against u20 teams which will help the young guys alot trying out more skills.

Is Mosko and Zlnka confirmed to be playing ushl next season? I wonder.

 

[alko]

I’m not sure if they already have a roster set, I’m guessing they will wait until after the upcoming u17 tournament finishes to see. I expect some of the 05s to be drawn into the program and wonder if results of recent HGC may draw some players who went to Scandinavia back to Slovakia, it seems unlikely though. Players who I think will be there: J. Chromiak, Eperjesi, Zabka, Ridzon, Suchy, Misiak, Zöld, Dej, Urban. Those are returning guys. They could draw other guys like Kurila into it and than 2006 borns that @hellwar9 listed. I expect this team to be weaker than last years squad. One positive is that they will get a full season of matches against u20 teams which will help the young guys alot trying out more skills.

Is Mosko and Zlnka confirmed to be playing ushl next season? I wonder.

I saw somewhere, that Mosko is definitely USHL player. Don't know about Zlnka.

 

[Mato94]

Does the under18 team have a selection order? If yes, how does it work? Do any of these 06 have a chance to enter and play in the second division or is it already confirmed?

The selection process is mostly the U18 coaches attending and scouting U17 and U16 players in their respective camps, and obviously, the players in their own category. They’re often given a tip to take a look at XY player and if they see him, they ask a bit and decide to offer him a spot on the team or not.

It is confirmed the 06s should be part of the project. However, the head coach told me they primarily wanted the younger guys to play in the U20 league, but if there’s a player good enough to play in the men’s second tier league, they’ll let him. There are guys I’ve heard of they will be able to play against pros, but due to a weird year, I haven’t seen much of them and can’t really say names who should be able to compete. The last year was tough for the youngsters.

 

[hellwar9]

I’m not sure if they already have a roster set, I’m guessing they will wait until after the upcoming u17 tournament finishes to see. I expect some of the 05s to be drawn into the program and wonder if results of recent HGC may draw some players who went to Scandinavia back to Slovakia, it seems unlikely though. Players who I think will be there: J. Chromiak, Eperjesi, Zabka, Ridzon, Suchy, Misiak, Zöld, Dej, Urban. Those are returning guys. They could draw other guys like Kurila into it and than 2006 borns that @hellwar9 listed. I expect this team to be weaker than last years squad. One positive is that they will get a full season of matches against u20 teams which will help the young guys alot trying out more skills.

Is Mosko and Zlnka confirmed to be playing ushl next season? I wonder.

Misiak will play top tier men's Slovak league and Suchy goes to USHL. Mosko is confirmed in the USHL, I have no idea about Zlnka, but he should also go there. But otherwise I agree, the other boys should be back. As for 06, there should be a trio of Tomasec, Licko and Pobezal (late 06) in the project u18 according to performances, but it is not yet clear whether they will also play the men's league or whether they will only play in the junior U20 league. Also Sisík and Kukumberg may return to Slovakia, so their next steps should be directed here. Maybe Tobias Faith (06), I don't think he will continue in the Czech Republic.

Does the under18 team have a selection order? If yes, how does it work? Do any of these 06 have a chance to enter and play in the second division or is it already confirmed?

At the end of the summer, there should be something like a camp, and from that camp, players will be selected for this U18 team.

 

[Antiillafire]

Ideas on the U17 lineup for Wednesday? Who are the natural C’s on this team? I guess Sisik and Jencko will play the wings on the first line, maybe Ridzon. Top pairing on the back end, Chromiak - Eperjesi?

 

[elMatador]

Pretty self-explaining why Slovakia has a promising hockey players born in 2004 and 2005.

 

[FinPanda]

Pretty self-explaining why Slovakia has a promising hockey players born in 2004 and 2005.

Wish I could understand some of that.

 

[Antiillafire]

Wish I could understand some of that.

Essentially, three parents formed a hockey academy for the summer called HMS selects for the best 2004 and 2005 born hockey players in Slovakia. They wanted something that would offer young slovak hockey players the opportunity to get an elite training environment. It would allow them to train and play in tournaments after the club season had finished. The started it when the 2004 born players were 10 and these guys began playing together regularly, travelling all over Europe and to North America to play the best teams of the same age group. They played probably 100-150 matches together against the best hockey players of other nations, but would also play against other teams from Slovakia. Players like Simon Nemec, Servac Petrovsky, Juraj Slafkovsky, Marian Mosko, Jozef Viliam Kmec, Filip Mesar all played for this team, so basically the best 2004 born slovaks now all came from this team. (Not including guys who were playing in other nations like Ciernik).

 

[FinPanda]

Essentially, three parents formed a hockey academy for the summer called HMS selects for the best 2004 and 2005 born hockey players in Slovakia. They wanted something that would offer young slovak hockey players the opportunity to get an elite training environment. It would allow them to train and play in tournaments after the club season had finished. The started it when the 2004 born players were 10 and these guys began playing together regularly, travelling all over Europe and to North America to play the best teams of the same age group. They played probably 100-150 matches together against the best hockey players of other nations, but would also play against other teams from Slovakia. Players like Simon Nemec, Servac Petrovsky, Juraj Slafkovsky, Marian Mosko, Jozef Viliam Kmec, Filip Mesar all played for this team, so basically the best 2004 born slovaks now all came from this team. (Not including guys who were playing in other nations like Ciernik).

Thank you very much, pretty cool.

 

[Faterson]

Wish I could understand some of that.

I see it along with the English translation below. Don't you?

Anyway, the main point of the article to me is that these enthusiastic hockey parents (HMS launched by Plevka, Mišiak, Slafkovský seniors) decided (what follows is my interpretation) they wouldn't be "typical Slovaks" who are fine with "local hero, global zero". There's nothing more foreign to Slovak mentality than trying to constantly improve yourself, to face the toughest competition on the global scale. All successful Slovaks, not only in sports (like Sagan or Vlhová), are "aberrations" – exceptions from said rule and national mentality.

So were these hockey parents. They decided that to be the best peewee hockey team in Slovakia/Czech Rep, or Central Europe, or Europe, wasn't nearly enough. They arranged for their 11- and 12-year-old kids to play tournaments in Canada & the US, against the best teams there. (The costs for the parents must have been exorbitant.) They're reaping the rewards now.

They said when they launched the project that they would have been happy if at least one of the kids made it to the NHL one day. Five or seven years later, it looks like there might be a couple of first-rounders...

 

[mirec04]

I see it along with the English translation below. Don't you?

Anyway, the main point of the article to me is that these enthusiastic hockey parents (HMS launched by Plevka, Mišiak, Slafkovský seniors) decided (what follows is my interpretation) they wouldn't be "typical Slovaks" who are fine with "local hero, global zero". There's nothing more foreign to Slovak mentality than trying to constantly improve yourself, to face the toughest competition on the global scale. All successful Slovaks, not only in sports (like Sagan or Vlhová), are "aberrations" – exceptions from said rule and national mentality.

So were these hockey parents. They decided that to be the best peewee hockey team in Slovakia/Czech Rep, or Central Europe, or Europe, wasn't nearly enough. They arranged for their 11- and 12-year-old kids to play tournaments in Canada & the US, against the best teams there. (The costs for the parents must have been exorbitant.) They're reaping the rewards now.

They said when they launched the project that they would have been happy if at least one of the kids made it to the NHL one day. Five or seven years later, it looks like there might be a couple of first-rounders...

Now the Slovak hockey federation has the key to the success.
I have written email to the former president of hockey federation few years ago if they will be willing to support such projects at least from U14 after season is gone. My explanation was that the children are long time without hockey between seasons and the confrontation with the better players from other countries will help them a lot. At least they will see that to be the best in Slovakia means nothing in terms of global competition.
I have received reply that in the hockey federation they don't believe that such tournaments can help the players in their development and the key factor is work done at clubs...
It is true that the clubs are most important but the competition between our clubs is too low, it is due to low number of hockey players and also wrongly setup of domestic leagues where our young guys from the best clubs are playing many games with results like 30:0, this will give them nothing.
Miro Satan brought some light into our hockey future but it is simply still not enough. Hopefully at least the youth leagues will be reorganized so that the wild results will be rare.