Simon Stransky may not be the most prolific player eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft, but his impressive hockey sense and offensive ability make him a compelling prospect.
Here’s a detailed review of how Stransky got himself in position to be among the first 60 names called in Buffalo this month.
Age on June 24: 18
Current Team: Prince Albert Raiders, WHL
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 185 pounds
From: Ostrave, Czech Republic
Twitter: @stranas83
NHL Central Scouting Rank (North America): 48th
Marek’s Take: Really skilled, but it all seems to be from the outside. Scouts wonder if he has the game for the next level?
A generous man…
Stransky’s career thus far hasn’t so much been defined by his goal-scoring ability as it has by his vision and playmaking. He’s a generous player.
“Great passer who has nearly mastered the ‘no-look’ pass and has many highlight-reel passes this season,” reads the report at hockeynow.com.
In his two seasons with Prince Albert, Stransky’s set up 73 goals. His 43 assists this season were second-most on the Raiders, leaving him six short of linemate Reid Gardiner.
Highly skilled…
If you’re going to be a gifted playmaker, you’re going to need to be able to weave your way through traffic, relying on good edge work and superior puck-handling skills. These elements are apparent in Stransky’s game.
“He has a very good presence when attempts are made to contain him,” says Bill Placzek at draftsite.com. “He uses his all-around shiftiness to stickhandle in tight areas and escape pursuit. [Stransky will] use his feet like a soccer player to reposition the puck.”
Following in big bro’s footsteps…
Simon’s brother Matej is a 2011, sixth-round selection of the Dallas Stars. He left the Czech Republic a year before his draft eligibility to play for the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL.
When it came time for Simon to make a similar decision, he didn’t hesitate.
“He said it was a good experience and that it would be good for me, too,” Simon told Kelly Friesen of Yahoo Sports. “He told me they have good coaches out here and it’s a good way to get to the next level.”
It would appear Brother Matej’s advice paid dividends, as Simon built on a rookie campaign of 12 goals and 30 assists in 70 games by scoring 19 goals and 43 assists in 62 games in his sophomore season.
Fast start, slower finish…
The hype was considerable around Stransky when he flew out of the gate with 37 points in his first 35 games this season. That production had him among the WHL’s top-10 scorers in January, which led NHL Central Scouting to place him 25th among North American prospects in their mid-term rankings.
But Stransky’s scoring pace dropped off slightly in the second half of the season following a modest showing at the World Junior Championship. As a result, his draft ranking eventually fell to 48th.
