Vojtech Strondala had a good year with Czech youth national teams and was one of the top players at the U19 Five Nations in Turku, Finland in February. The late 2000-born prospect is a prototypical playmaking center with good set-up skills and makes timely passes in the offensive zone. He reads the game well and goes to the net where he can be very dangerous. He can be relied upon to produce points and his skill level stands out even at the international level.
He is a good skater with agility and strong edges, but his strides are short. Defensively, he uses his stick well and doesn't give opponents much time to operate. Strondala has good long-term potential and I consider him one of the top Czech prospects available for this year's draft notwithstanding his small size. After a productive season in the second-highest Czech league, he is expected to play regularly for Kometa Brno in the top tier next season.
| Vojtech Strondala | 2019 Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: C, Shoots L | H/W: 5-7", 154 lbs |
| Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | HC Kometa Brono, Czech (13-0-0-0-0) |
| SK Horacka Slavia Trebic, Czech2 (33-8-15-23-14) | |
| HC Kometa Brno U19, Czech U19 (10-11-7-18-6) |
Skating: Strondala is a good skater with nice agility and can make sudden changes of directions. He stops and starts effectively in the defensive zone instead of taking wide turns. He can accelerate quickly from a standstill and has strong edges. However, he needs to improve his stride power as his strides are very short. Improving his stride power and length will be a challenge for him and will go a long way in determining how well his game translates at the pro level. Grade: 55
Shot: He is eager to use his wrist shot when the opportunity presents itself. Other than being accurate, his shot in itself is average and could use some more power. However, he has good scoring touch near the cage, as he is willing to go to the net without the puck and shows good hand-eye coordination for deflections. The timing on his net drives is excellent and he knows how to get open in primary scoring positions before receiving the puck. Grade: 50
Skills: Strondala is a prototypical playmaking center who possesses quality stickhandling and passing skills. He can start offensive transitions with long passes and set up his teammates for scoring chances with timely passing in the offensive zone. He has quick hands and can pull off creative moves in one-on-one situations. He is very active without the puck and uses his stick well to help his team regain possession at both ends of the ice. He can create turnovers and force opponents into rushed decisions because of his strong stick work. Grade: 60
Smarts: He has very good instincts and reads the game well which not only shows in his distribution skills, but also in his ability to make himself available for passes in all three zones. When his team starts the attack from the defensive zone, Strondala consistently has his stick prepared to receive the puck. He supports his teammates in his own end displaying good situational awareness. However, in the offensive zone he can be caught on the wrong side of the puck and chasing the play. He needs to ensure he does not get caught below the puck as it leaves the defense vulnerable on counter attacks, especially in the middle of the ice. Grade: 55
Physicality: This is not a big part of his game but he does not shy away from contact either and will finish his checks every now and then. Despite his small stature, Strondala is quite tenacious and goes into the corners and puck battles with some authority. He is never going to be a physical force on the ice but he seems to have many of the right attributes to compensate for his lack of size and physical strength. Grade: 45
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 54.25
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity