New Jersey Devils' Draft Target Profile: Ethan Czata
The third part of a series deep-diving potential second-round targets for the New Jersey Devils.
Two days 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
~64th Overall (Rd. 2):
~94th Overall (Rd. 3):
~114th Overall (Rd. 4):
~161st Overall (Rd. 6):
~178th Overall (Rd. 6):
Today’s draft target is Ethan Czata, a no-nonsense, bruising, two-way 6’1 center from the OHL. Czata has long been touted as a mid-second-round pick, and I think he’s worth a look from the Devils at 50th Overall.
Czata, who turns 18 at the end of the month, has been projected anywhere from 43rd overall to 62nd by reputable outlets, meaning that there is a very real possibility he winds up being available when the Devils pick with their own selection.
With that in mind, let’s dive in:
Statistical Profile
Considering his skillset and style of play, Czata’s statistical profile is actually quite impressive. His 55 points in 68 games were good for fourth on the Niagara IceDogs, behind top 2026-eligible prospect Ryan Roobroeck, currently projected to go third overall in that draft, and two already-drafted prospects (Kevin He and Andrei Loshko).
For Team Canada at the Men’s U18 Worlds, he scored five points (one goal, four assists) in seven games, helping Canada to a gold medal championship in the tournament.
Skating
Czata, full-stop, is not a good skater. He is rigid and stands upright in his stride, resulting in a general lack of power generated in his legs. This makes it difficult for him to accelerate to his top speed quickly, and hinders that top speed as well. This makes him more suited to being a passenger in transition, at the least making him more prone to turnovers while carrying the puck through the neutral zone.
His agility is slightly below average, too, though it’s less concerning than his speed and explosiveness. Czata is going to need an overhaul on his mechanics to truly make a difference in that regard, which is legitimately a concern. For a player of his playstyle, one who is mentally built to forecheck and play with an edge, improved straight-line speed and acceleration are a must at the NHL level. How can he be aggressive in puck pursuit if he can’t get to the player with the puck before it’s off their stick?
Shooting
I don’t think Czata is a particularly great shooter, either. He gets in dangerous areas all the time and shoots at volume, but his shot itself is middling at best.
His shot is at its best when Czata is in the interior of the ice or off the rush in an odd-man scenario. From around the crease, he finds ways to put the puck in the back of the net, smartly placing his shots in unexpected places most of the time or finding gaps in the goalie’s coverage. Off the rush, he can manipulate defenders and goaltenders into thinking he is going to pass with his body language before shooting, catching everyone off-guard and rewarding his team with a goal. I’d classify that more as Czata having a pretty high IQ than him being a shooter, though.
He’s certainly going to need to work on his shot if he has NHL aspirations. Czata’s two-way game and playstyle likely draw a lot of attention from clubs looking for a bottom-six player with a high floor, but he should really try to work on his offensive output.
Puck Skills
Unsurprisingly, Czata’s puck skills aren’t that great, either. He’s a bit clunky with the puck on his stick in terms of puckhandling, with generally slow movement from side to side and a distaste for high-skill moves. At times, he can pull out a move rooted in patience, out-waiting goaltenders or defenders to give himself or his teammates opportunities, but that’s just about the crux of what he’ll do.
At this point, you may be asking yourself, “JP, considering you value skill more than anything and Czata doesn’t have much of it, why do you like him so much?”
Honestly? Valid. I hope the next three points prove why:
Playmaking & Hockey IQ
Czata’s best use of his above-average IQ is in finding space without the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. He positions himself smartly to capitalize on shots from the inner slot and is a scavenger-type player when it comes to rebounds because of the location he puts himself at relative to the play.
His passing and facilitation are solid, occasionally pulling out difficult plays through traffic to high-danger zones of the ice. In that regard, Czata operates at his best from behind the net. When unchallenged in coverage in Gretzky’s Office, he will always find an open target with a well-timed pass. When challenged, he can fend off the defender and push play elsewhere, like the point. Still, while this is a plus to be sure, the bulk of his success from an IQ standpoint from stems from his ability to find open space in coverage and quickly capitalize.
Defensive Awareness
If the Devils are looking for a more mature defensive game, Czata should certainly be on their radar. There is a reason, after all, that he was tasked with nearly two minutes of penalty killing time per game in the OHL this season and has largely been used in a third-line, shutdown role at the Men’s U18 tournament this week.
Czata’s defensive positioning is largely immaculate. He positions himself in a fashion that keeps play to the outside, tracking his man like a bloodhound and forcing play to the walls using well-intentioned poke check attempts and physical force. For a 17-year-old to be playing in this way is extremely impressive.
Czata is an active backchecker when he can keep pace with the competition, giving trouble to those he can skate with in terms of stick checks and lifts. He has trouble keeping said pace at times by proxy of his poor speed and acceleration, but that isn’t for a lack of trying. He will need to improve in the faceoff dot as well, operating at 49% on the season in the OHL.
Physicality & Size
The calling card to Czata’s game is that the offensive output in his game is a direct result of the physical impact he has on it and the tenacity he shows on the ice. While not the biggest player, at 6’1 and 174 pounds, he plays fearlessly and throws his body around like it’s what he was born to do. While along-the-wall seal-offs are his forte, open-ice hits aren’t out of the ordinary for Czata.
His motor is incessant, which is the best part of his game by far. Even if his skating generally holds him back from playing at the speed he wants to play at, the effort is unquestionable, and he’s noticeably giving 110% every shift. Extremely hard workers like Czata are hard to come by.
The way Czata plays the game directly results in his team garnering more special-teams time all around. His 72 penalty minutes in 68 OHL games are a bit concerning, but he did draw 0.68 penalties per game to somewhat even it out. If he can work on his discipline without changing his game, he’s going to turn into a penalty differential monster. It all stems from the way he plays the game: non-stop, in-your-face, and irritating.
Moreover, Czata simply plays the game like a pro already. He generally does a lot of the little, off-puck things right and shows fearlessness in all aspects of his game. As much as I hate the terminology, he embodies the idea of “intangibles.”
It seems out of the ordinary for me to have a player with this archetype as one of my draft targets — whereas Benák and Zharovsky have legitimate upside as skilled players, Czata profiles more as a no-nonsense bottom-six center — but I do truly enjoy watching Czata play the game. He doesn’t possess overwhelming amounts of skill, is a relatively poor skater, and doesn’t shoot the puck well, but has generally solid offensive awareness, an incessant motor, is defensively mature, and plays an already professional game with a great mentality. For all the “old-school hockey men” out there reading this, this should be your guy at 50th overall.1
All videos in this scouting report are via the Niagara IceDogs, the OHL team Czata played for in 2024-25.
If he is a second rounder, you are shooting low. Third rounder sounds good. From your analysis of his skills. If you are underestimating them, or they can be worked on, then maybe a prospect. Can the skating be fixed?. I mean, I remember years ago when skating coaches first became a craze, don't seem to hear about them much any more. I do like the high motor player who can be physical over the one-trick pony prospects (Alexander Holtz) who lack that intensity. Also like North American players (as I have stated before) as team has more influence in development than those overseas. (I know you don't seem to think it is an issue, but I would rather the team have control and have the guy available, than not.)