Slovak prospects - Top 10 rankings (updated July 3rd)
- Thread starter Elvs
- Start date
I was not impresed by Knazko yesterday. Gave up a breakaway on the last PP in the regulation and had a very weak attempt when all alone in the dying seconds of OT.
I've now updated all of the top 10 rankings in the OP. It's a strange season due to covid, and so a lot of players didn't play much all winter. Take the rankings with a grain of salt.
Players who fell out of the top 10's were:
2021: Adam Beke, Alex Geci, Samuel Hlavaj, Kevin Horvath, Lubomir Kupco
2022: Boris Babeliak, Alex Barakovics
2023: Jan Korec
Players who fell out of the top 10's were:
2021: Adam Beke, Alex Geci, Samuel Hlavaj, Kevin Horvath, Lubomir Kupco
2022: Boris Babeliak, Alex Barakovics
2023: Jan Korec
alko
Registered User
Difficult to say because many players have not played any game since some time...
From what I've heard the skilled player is Theo Kiss born in 2006.
Theo Kiss at eliteprospects.com
In the group of 2007-players it is even more difficult to say or predict some potential prospects. One interesting name could be Adam Nemec - as far as I remember it correctly he should be the brother of Simon Nemec.
Adam Nemec at eliteprospects.com
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Some names that should be among the best in the given years of birth in Slovakia. If any of them have the potential for a draft, we'll see.
2006's
Tobias Faith at eliteprospects.com
Jozef Silhar at eliteprospects.com
Theo Kiss at eliteprospects.com
Dominik Drapak at eliteprospects.com
Andrej Tomasec at eliteprospects.com
Fabian Licko at eliteprospects.com
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/725443/michal-liscinsky
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/725402/peter-kovac
late 2006's
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/619034/tomas-pobezal
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/692934/alex-zalesak
2007
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/690464/samuel-misak
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/619031/alex-misiak
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/690439/jan-chovan
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/752379/alex-bodi
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/690467/michal-svrcek
late 2007's
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/752383/adam-nemec
Antiillafire
Registered User
For the 2003s, I think Simon Becar has separated himself over the last several months as the best 2003 born player. He impressed me a lot during the WJC and was one of the better defenders for the U18 project. Libor Nemec is probably the second best. Alex Geci is a big wildcard, he hasn’t played since last year. And he didn’t get the HGC to be compared against other 2003s. I hope that he has made progress and has been training. I don’t think any 2003 players will be drafted this year, partially because they weren’t able to show off at u18 and because only few were even potential draft quality.
It is disappointing that the 2001 age group was relegated. I think the u18 team could have been successful in this year’s tournament. Could have also helped announce that the u18 project is working.
It is disappointing that the 2001 age group was relegated. I think the u18 team could have been successful in this year’s tournament. Could have also helped announce that the u18 project is working.
Antiillafire
Registered User
This is how I would rank them all together.
1. Dvorsky
2. Slafkovsky
3. Mesar
4. Molnar
Floor and ceiling is very hard to gauge right now, I can present some comparisons that I like though of each player. I suppose these could also act as their ceilings. Dvorsky - Marner. Slafkovsky - Rantanen. Mesar - Kyle Connor. Molnar - Vrana.
alko
Registered User
No, he is already in Sweden and his summer preparation in the junior team has started.
alko
Registered User
Ah sorry, my bad. I think he could. He also seems to me even better than Slafkovsky and his physical parameters are enough today.
Antiillafire
Registered User
Simon Latkoczy seems to have really found his game in the playoffs. 3-0 with .953 save % and 1.28 GAA. I hope that the playoff run + WJC performance may get him late rounds draft consideration.
I was on the cusp about including both him and Hlavaj among the top 10, but in the end, I though of Denis Godla's WHJC performance in 2015 and how he yet went undrafted. That became the deciding factor.
It's a little funny how the 2021 draft, despite being the closest in time, is the hardest to rank right now. It's more obvious who's likely to be drafted in 2022 and 2023. I doubt a single Slovak gets drafted this summer, but all it takes is for one scout to really like a player. We shall see.
What is the current thought on Alex Geci? After not playing anywhere this season , there is a solid chance he goes undrafted in the NHL draft imo
Antiillafire
Registered User
Unlikely he gets drafted, I’d say right now 20% chance he does get selected. I’m optimistic usually and even I see the Slovak class of 2021 as quite dim. Marko Stacha has supposedly played very very well for Vancouver so maybe he gets a look in 6th or 7th round. He still plans on joining Sarnia for the start of next season which the OHL just confirmed the start of in September. I hope he has been training over the course of the season and has kept up with his development. I am unsure how he will look. I haven’t seen him play now in a long while (no HGC, no u18, wasn’t at U20). Maybe he gets drafted as an overager. He has solid baseline, similar player to Ruzicka.
One Slovak that I really wished would get a look by NHL in this draft is Simon Becar. He really impressed me over the course of this season. He’s a bit daring (much like Knazko) but is also very good skater. It’s too bad these guys were not able to play at U18 due to relegation. But I guess the upside is that Slaf and Nemec will be at WC
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Nemec made a comment upon his arrival to a training camp that his plan is to stay in Nitra next season. I thought going the same path as Cernak did, having a ton of ice time and dominate the men's league is the right choice. Then I saw him in the games during the camp and I saw also the U18 finals. There will be some serious skill and talent in the next year's draft. As much as I think playing against men is good for him going to a junior league in Canada and compete against the most skilled guys will be huge. Being challanged each game, to compete hard each shift, doing a quick decisions all the time while on ice is something that he won't have to face each game if he stays in Nitra.
Slafkovsky made a huge steps in his development since U20 championship 5 months ago. His major issue was being able to skate and compete late in the games and how to manage his fatigue. Miso Handzus said that was one of the reasons why the young guys have played in every preparation game before the WCH. Slafkovsky more he played more comfortable he looked.
Knazko I think is lagging in his development compared to Nemec or Slafkovsky. He stayed in the shadow of Nemec during the last U20 championship. Has not improved that much compared to a previous U20 championship. In the recent preparation games for the WCH was not very visible.
I agree, it's very unlikely he gets drafted. The thing I don't get is why he didn't find a club back in Slovakia or in a different country in Europe to play with . He could have even stayed with Luuko. With all these restrictions due to covid , it's much easier for Euros to find places to play back home compared with a North American trying to come over.
Mato94
Registered User
Géci says every club he wanted to play for wanted him to stay for the whole season, but he had thought the OHL was eventually going to have a season, at least that’s what he had been told from the Sarnia Sting.
He started the season with Slovan Bratislava (top tier league team), didn’t really get a chance and then left for a second tier league team, HK Dubnica. Again - he had a chance to play games among men, but his OHL team had been assured by the league the season was going to start at some point, so he didn’t signed a contract and focused on the OHL instead.
The previous post has mentioned his training regime - yes, he had been practicing for the whole season, that’s something all OHL players had been asked to do, since the clubs had expected the season to start at some point and wanted the players to be ready.
Here’s an article with all the information (in Slovak): Alex Géci: Minimálne šance môže zvýšiť len turnaj
Maybe you can Google translate it or just ask me whatever you want about Géci, I’ll be happy to answer.
Antiillafire
Registered User
Good points but Godla was in his final year when he had that great performance and when he went back to club he was pretty average from what I remember. There is also closer goalies to reference (Hrenak and Durny) who got drafted after great WJC performances. The key is to continue the hot streak with club. Latkoczy did not have the best regular season but I could see late round consideration if his team wins the playoff title.
Dirtyf1ghter
Registered User
- Aug 7, 2019
- 2,592
- 1,694
There should be a pinned topic about Czech & Slovak prospects.
slovakiasnextone
Registered User
I think this is one has pretty much turned into the Slovak prospects update thread.
GettingYourMoms
Registered User
- Jun 6, 2018
- 2,237
- 2,017
Majority of Slovaks and Czechs don´t speak or understand english. It would be so dead, just like Arizona Coyotes reddit.
This channel is very active. The Czech U18 worlds channel was very active. A pinned thread wouldn’t change that. Clearly there are enough people interested in these players and capable of discussing them.
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