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

[JotAlan]

Ok, it´s time to update my personal list of more promising Slovak prospects starting with 2025 draft and later. I wanted to do it a bit earlier as I promised before but I was pretty busy after New Year´s Eve so let´s do it now and also with short write-ups.

Top 10 ranking:

1. Max Melicherik (2029) - this was the first time when I was thinking if I should place on the 1st position him or the player who is in the second position. But it´s stil Max who is a very rare talent similar to Slafkovsky. And Melicherik is even better than Slaf was in his age (Slaf was a poor skater in 13-15) - but he still has a long long way to go into the draft.

2. Luka Radivojevic (2025) - I was always pretty high on him but his progress in 2023 was incredible and surprised even me. Luka breaks historical records in the Swedish league and national team and I´m pretty sure he´s going to be 1st rounder in 2025. The best skater on this list.

3. Vladimir Dravecky (2026) - he´s thinking the game at a very high level and also his stickhandling technique is great. Only him and Simon Nemec managed to be a decent D-men in Slovak Extraliga in 15. Unfortunately his skating is just average but still at this moment he´s a clearly 1st round talent in my eyes.

4. Oliver Ozogany (2027) - one of my favourites for a long time and I see a ton potential here. After last season I´ve seen him play a much in tournaments and I was impressed a lot. He´s a full package, reminds me Dalibor Dvorsky a bit. I didn´t see his games in USA but his numbers are great there and I´m not surprised.

5. Matus Valek (2027) - completely different player than he was a one year ago. Talent always been there but then he grew up a lot and started to dominate in Slovak junior league like no one before. Not very speedy but excellent playmaker with very good hockey IQ.

----------------------------------------------------------------
the order on these next positions can be interchangeable
----------------------------------------------------------------

6. Adam Nemec (2026) - I put him relatively high in this ranking and reason is his size and projection as a pro-player. He´s strong, good finisher and also brings nice net front presence. He has a pretty good hands and also knows how to win board battles. But everyone knows his skating holds him back and he needs work on this a lot lot lot...

7. Tomas Chrenko (2026) - I can imagine him as a 1st rounder and also he has numbers like a 1st rounder. He´s great offensively, has a perfect hands and probably is the best stickhandler on this list, potential is here. But he´s not a complete player yet, has a muffin shot, avoids physical play and is poor defensively.

8. Tomas Pobezal (2025) - just two words here - stay healthy, please. Unfortunately, everytime when his game has an upward trend and improving is visible, injury is coming. That´s why I´m thinking his body isn´t builded for the NHL but otherwise Pobezal is extremely smart and talented player.

9. Michal Plancar (2026) - another player where I believed for a longer time that he could be on the rise and it´s happening. He has a great work ethic and character, always goes 100%. The best case scenario for him but quite possible - you can get the next Adam Sykora here but with the great size.

10. Tobias Tomik (2026) - here I have a bit hard time to judge him cause last season I saw him as a good goal scorer who cheated it defensively. I think his shot is good so I don´t understand why he´s not able to score more goals this season. He still needs to improve his defense but for example I like him more in shorthanded situations than on the powerplay which is a big surprise for me. Also is a good skater and potential is there although I´m not so high on him than some others maybe.

HM in alphabetical order:

Michal CAPOS (2025), Adam GOLJER (2026), Jan CHOVAN (2025), Timothy KAZDA (2027), Matus LISY (2025), Michal MARSALEK (2026), Samuel PISARCIK (2027), Juraj RAUSA (2027), Andreas STRAKA (2025), Michal SVRCEK (2025).

Oliver Tomastik?

 

[Antiillafire]

Draft is a little over 2 weeks away, so thought I would share a final top 5 ranking of Slovaks (first time) eligibles based primarily on their play over the season with small influence of U18’s. Don’t think class is really deep enough at all to go top 10 with only first time eligibles.


1: Andrej Fabus. By a wide margin is my #1 player in the class and has a much greater gap on the next defenseman. Overall I think he’s the smartest of the 2006 born dmen. Maybe lacks the physical traits of others but good puck positioning and doesn’t put himself in bad spots, nor does he have a popping offensive game. But that does not mean he is scared of contact in fact he uses sound positing to rub out opponents and get the puck and also fights in front of the net to move the opposition. If I was a scout and had to pick 1 player from Slovaks (2024 draft only) to say which type I would want in a playoff series it would be him. In the Bronze game he was playing more mins behind only Luka. Go watch the game against Czechia in QF, he was better than guys on Czechia ranked in the top 2 rounds, put on a clinic on the PK and with the net empty for Czechia. Sound and simple is the game he plays. His u18 performance after the first game against USA where the entire team was bad, just confirmed where I was already heading.

2: Alan Lendak. Personally I see him as overall quite consistent over the year. Tough numbers at U18’s but high danger chances were off the charts on a game to game basis.

3: Miroslav Satan Jr. @Martinez89 and @stenlis have slowly convinced me to move Miro Jr up the ranking for a few reasons. He still has lots of room to grow into his frame and throughout the tournament I thought he was able to use one thing to his size that could serve him in a bottom 6 role potentially down the line and that is his stick positioning. Some bigger players struggle to use this to their advantage, I thought Miroslav was able to breaking up passes, forechecking, etc. Lots would need to happen for that role to come true but who knows, his dad will have him with the best training available.

4: Jakub Chromiak. For most of the time discussed about the 2024 nhl draft this would have been the can’t miss #1. However things have not panned out as so. The biggest separator for me with him and Fabus is the way in which the approach the game when it bogs down and becomes heavy in the corners and around the net. Chromiak to me shies away from this, while Fabus will hack and slash to move opponents. Still this ranking of him could come back against me one day.

5: Adam Belusko. More of a rough and tumble defenseman with some offensive upside. Thought he was just fine at U18’s but had a pretty good season. Prone to some bad mistakes. I see him though as a level below 2005 and 2004 born dmen who went undrafted. I see less long term growth with him then Fabus, who to me has more runway.

Feel free to criticize this as this is just what I saw. Overall as we have all said this could be a draft where zero Slovaks are drafted but we can hope for the best.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Draft is a little over 2 weeks away, so thought I would share a final top 5 ranking of Slovaks (first time) eligibles based primarily on their play over the season with small influence of U18’s. Don’t think class is really deep enough at all to go top 10 with only first time eligibles.


1: Andrej Fabus. By a wide margin is my #1 player in the class and has a much greater gap on the next defenseman. Overall I think he’s the smartest of the 2006 born dmen. Maybe lacks the physical traits of others but good puck positioning and doesn’t put himself in bad spots, nor does he have a popping offensive game. But that does not mean he is scared of contact in fact he uses sound positing to rub out opponents and get the puck and also fights in front of the net to move the opposition. If I was a scout and had to pick 1 player from Slovaks (2024 draft only) to say which type I would want in a playoff series it would be him. In the Bronze game he was playing more mins behind only Luka. Go watch the game against Czechia in QF, he was better than guys on Czechia ranked in the top 2 rounds, put on a clinic on the PK and with the net empty for Czechia. Sound and simple is the game he plays. His u18 performance after the first game against USA where the entire team was bad, just confirmed where I was already heading.

2: Alan Lendak. Personally I see him as overall quite consistent over the year. Tough numbers at U18’s but high danger chances were off the charts on a game to game basis.

3: Miroslav Satan Jr. @Martinez89 and @stenlis have slowly convinced me to move Miro Jr up the ranking for a few reasons. He still has lots of room to grow into his frame and throughout the tournament I thought he was able to use one thing to his size that could serve him in a bottom 6 role potentially down the line and that is his stick positioning. Some bigger players struggle to use this to their advantage, I thought Miroslav was able to breaking up passes, forechecking, etc. Lots would need to happen for that role to come true but who knows, his dad will have him with the best training available.

4: Jakub Chromiak. For most of the time discussed about the 2024 nhl draft this would have been the can’t miss #1. However things have not panned out as so. The biggest separator for me with him and Fabus is the way in which the approach the game when it bogs down and becomes heavy in the corners and around the net. Chromiak to me shies away from this, while Fabus will hack and slash to move opponents. Still this ranking of him could come back against me one day.

5: Adam Belusko. More of a rough and tumble defenseman with some offensive upside. Thought he was just fine at U18’s but had a pretty good season. Prone to some bad mistakes. I see him though as a level below 2005 and 2004 born dmen who went undrafted. I see less long term growth with him then Fabus, who to me has more runway.

Feel free to criticize this as this is just what I saw. Overall as we have all said this could be a draft where zero Slovaks are drafted but we can hope for the best.

Thanks for putting this out there. Curious where you think these players will be picked in terms of pick number/round (if at all)?

 

[Antiillafire]

Thanks for putting this out there. Curious where you think these players will be picked in terms of pick number/round (if at all)?

Rounds 5-7

 

[Antiillafire]

60ish picks left. Zero Slovaks taken so far. Wake up call for U18 program ?

 

[alko]

Reality bites.

We knew it will be a weak draft.

Look to WUCH U 18 roster and stats - 2006 only a supporting role players, 2007 game breakers.

60ish picks left. Zero Slovaks taken so far. Wake up call for U18 program ?