With upcoming NHL Draft 2023 we have bunch of boys from Slovakia on its way to be drafted.
What are the odds?
My predictions:
Dvorský - top 15 lock
Honzek - 1. round lock
This would mean our small country may have 5 picks in first round in 2 years. That did not happen for long long time. If ever.
Gajan, Štrbák, Čiernik - those boys will be somewhere in between 2. and 3. round.
Pekarčík, Misiak - likely in top 100 (Pekarčík was top 3 forward in our U18 squad this year).
Urban - 5-7. round - hopefully this boy will be not overlooked although draft isn't certain for him. Yet I believe he will be picked.
Molnár seems to be a bit risky pick regarding his bitter reputation. Still think somebody will take him in 6-7. round.
And then we have a group of guys who have some chance to be taken:
Dej, Kukumberg, Cedzo, Jencko, Jedlicka (overager). I bet 1-2 guys from this group will be taken as a late late pick. Surely they are under radar.
Overall 7 PLAYERS look like they will get through the draft (almost 100 percent sure) which is amazing for our small country yet I believe we will be attacking double digits.
Future looks promising.