New Jersey Devils' Draft Target Profile: Tomáš Poběžal
The eighth part of a series deep-diving potential second-round targets for the New Jersey Devils.
Three-ish weeks ago, I started my many-part series deep-diving potential draft day fits for the Devils at all rounds of the draft — from the Devils’ two second-rounders (~50th and ~64th) to their sixth-rounders, I’m compiling a list of players I’d be pounding the table for on draft day should they be available. Naturally, I’m focusing more on the earlier stages of the draft, as that is where there is the most talent and intrigue. However, I do have my list of scouting reports and notes for players I think will be available come the end of the draft, too, which I am excited to share with you.
Targets so far:
~50th Overall (Rd. 2): Adam Benák, Alexander Zharovsky, Ethan Czata, Conrad Fondrk, Cameron Schmidt
~64th Overall (Rd. 2): Theo Stockselius, LJ Mooney
~94th Overall (Rd. 3):
~114th Overall (Rd. 4):
~161st Overall (Rd. 6):
~178th Overall (Rd. 6):
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Today’s draftee spotlight is on Tomáš Poběžal, who the Devils should be intrigued by with their second second-round pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old center is one of the oldest players in the draft, being just short of eligibility for last year. Poběžal, listed at 5’10, 179 pounds, is a bit undersized, but the production, toolkit, and motor more than make up for it, in my opinion.
Without further ado, let’s talk about why I think Poběžal would be a great fit for the Devils at 64th overall.
Statistical Profile
From a purely statistical standpoint, there’s a lot to like about Poběžal at this spot in the draft. His 21% star player probability in Byron Bader’s model is exceptionally high for 64th overall, and while his 32% NHLer probabilities might not seem overwhelmingly impressive, relative to the rest of the players available here, it’s a strong number.
Poběžal logged a total of 23 points in 42 games in the top Slovakian league, the highest mark of any draft-eligible player from this league since Marián Gáborík back in 2000.
I do think Bader’s model tends to over-hype the Slovakian league, the reason being that there aren’t too many players who have taken that development course in the NHL, and the proportion of players who have made the NHL and become stars in the league (like Marian Hossa, Pavol Demitra, Miroslav Satan, Ziggy Palffy) is pretty high. Reasonably so, the model then overrates players like Poběžal, who probably don’t have a star probability of 21% in actuality.
Still, the Devils should consider him for the slot, as there’s a lot to like outside of his statistical prowess.
Skating
For Poběžal, his skating is more of a results over process kind of thing. His stride is a bit clunky and short, but he still manages to generate a good amount of power with his legs.
I’m not overly impressed with his top speed, though I do think it’s ever-so-slightly above average as compared to his peers. For me, it’s all about his explosiveness. In just a few steps, Poběžal is able to get to full capacity, meaning that he can chug around defenders from a standstill from anywhere on the ice.
His edges are also solid, though he does rely on that explosiveness to do a lot of the legwork (pun intended) in transition.
Shooting
While I do generally like Poběžal’s shot from a distance — his release is reasonably deceptive — I think his best asset in terms of shooting is his knack for the front of the net. He is able to lift the puck from in-tight with ease and does not sacrifice his positioning at the netfront despite his frame. He’s a rebound hound, and his hand-eye coordination is surprisingly excellent.
Again, I more often than not like Poběžal’s shot from mid-range, but I feel as though he could work on adding some velocity to his shots. On occasion, they can come off his stick as change-ups, which can accidentally throw goaltenders off guard and result in goals, but are less than ideal for consistent goalscoring. And that’s what Poběžal is — a goal-scorer.
Puck Skills
Poběžal’s puck skills are pretty sturdy for this spot in the draft. He doesn’t have an overwhelmingly large collection of dekes and dangles to pull from, but he’s great at what he’s great at — quick, side-to-side puck movement. His hands are fast, and his strong offensive IQ means that he has the patience to outwait goaltenders and defenders in situations that call for it.
I would like to see an added level of dynamism to Poběžal’s puck control, though. I’ve been of the opinion that he could use another move or two to really get around defenders in a cyclical offensive setting, rather than sticking to the perimeter most of the time because of his somewhat limited array of dekes. At times, he can build up the confidence to make a nice cut to the interior when operating as the puck carrier along the boards, but I think he’d have more confidence if he had an added level of creative ability.
Playmaking & Hockey IQ
I’m relatively unimpressed with Poběžal’s consistency in playmaking and playdriving, especially considering the archetype he brings to the table, to be honest.
It feels like, with the motor he has and the explosive skating ability he has, he should be a consistent driver of offense at any given time, but there are certainly inconsistencies within his game. It’s not that he isn’t trying or that he doesn’t mean well, but he can certainly be more of a passenger to the flow of play at times. I would like to see Poběžal operate as “the guy” a bit more often in transition. Considering his puck skills, I would like to see a bit more creativity in his game.
Poběžal’s IQ is great, too, which makes it all the more perplexing. He knows where to be and when, when the puck is off his stick. He knows how to most effectively use his pesky nature and stubbornness in front of the net. He knows how to anticipate where his opposition will be in order to generate a turnover that quickly turns into a chance the other way. From a playmaking and playdriving perspective, all these things make it frustrating to see the inconsistencies in his game because we know what he’s capable of.
Defensive Awareness
I actually like what Poběžal brings to the table defensively quite a bit. I think his motor — which I’ll delve further into in the next section — lends itself quite well in a man-to-man coverage system. His tenacity in pursuit of the puck carrier is unmatched, and his tidy stick work on the defensive side of things often results in turnovers.
He can be overzealous at times, overcommitting to the aforementioned puck-carrier pursuit, but his explosiveness as a skater is solid enough that he can recover in most situations. Above all else, I just love how engaged Poběžal is; you can tell he’s trying his absolute hardest out there with every shift he spends on the ice.
Physicality & Size
While he’s obviously on the smaller end of the spectrum, Poběžal’s motor is as good as it comes. He doesn’t shy away from any contact, be it on open ice, along the boards, or behind the net.
The tenacity shows up in takeaways more than anywhere else, in my opinion. Poběžal simply never gives up on the play when he doesn’t have the puck regardless of where he’s at on the ice — in the defensive zone, he’s an active pickpocket; in the neutral zone, he’s an active pickpocket; in the offensive zone, you guessed it, he’s an active pickpocket. Poběžal is good for several takeaways per game that will make you say, “That was impressive.”
Beyond that, Poběžal’s never-die attitude on the ice means he does whatever it takes to stick with an offensive chance until it results in a favorable outcome. His motor on offensive possessions is simply relentless. He forechecks hard, causing turmoil for defenders within their own zone before pouncing on the loose puck he generates. He throws his body around well for a guy his size, to be sure.
To me, Poběžal looks to be a decent bet for the Devils’ 64th overall selection. The production is obviously tantalizing, and he’ll have a chance to build on that in the OHL next season. His tools are relatively excellent as well, with his calling cards being his high energy, motor, and strong netfront finishing touch despite his stature. I would be thrilled if he were the pick the Devils went with.
*All videos used in this scouting report are courtesy of JOJ Sport.
How long till he is in North America? Devils cant recall mid-season from Europe.
Like agressiveness. Does it have any snart? Is he an agitator? (Devils desperately need an agitator) . Sound like a middle/bottom six guy with limited likelihood to pop to top line guy.