Dominik Badinka
2023-24 Team: Malmö J20 (J20 Nationell)
Date of Birth: November 27, 2005
Place of Birth: Chomutov, Czechia
Ht: 6-foot-3 Wt: 190 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Defense
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 14th (among international skaters)
- Future Considerations: 26th
- Peter Baracchini’s March Rankings: 36th
- Logan Horn’s April Rankings: 44th
- Andrew Forbes’ February Rankings: 48th
- SMAHT Scouting: 35th
- Bob McKenzie’s Rankings: 42nd
- Dobber Prospects Rankings: 26th
Right-handed defenseman Dominik Badinka has had quite a developmental journey in the last few years, physically speaking. Three seasons ago, he was playing in Czechia. One year later, he ended up playing for Jokerit in Finland, and in his 18-year-old season, he moved to Sweden to play in the J20 Nationell and eventually the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He bounced between the two leagues, eventually playing almost double (33) the number of games in the SHL than the J20 Nationell (17). In those 17 J20 games, he put up two goals and 11 assists for a total of 13 points, and in the SHL he compiled one goal and four total points.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
Despite not putting up huge numbers against men in the SHL, Badinka played around 15 minutes per night on the back end for the Malmö Redhawks, an accomplishment in and of itself for his age. He was awarded this playing time for a few key facets of his game: his mobility, poise, and IQ. At 6-foot-3, Badinka has good size but still moves exceptionally well. His straight-line speed is among the best among defensemen in the entire draft class, though admittedly that can be canceled out by a lack of high-end stickhandling ability. On top of that, he is able to remain extremely calm under pressure in his own end, refraining from panicking with the puck on his stick — which is fantastic considering how often he likes it on his stick.
In addition to that, his hockey sense is top-notch. He sees the ice extremely well, aiding in his first pass up the ice. In the offensive zone, his vision allows him to find open teammates and set up scoring chances at will, while his ability to draw attention to himself allows his teammates to find open space that much easier. On the other end of transition, he is able to read plays and opposing breakouts extremely well, solidifying his two-way abilities as projectably above NHL average.
As previously mentioned, Badinka lacks stickhandling ability which would pump him up to a bona fide first-round draft pick. While he moves very well, it can be hard for him (at times) to get around defensemen in transition or pressure forwards in the offensive zone. Because of this, he is likely going to cap out as a second-unit power-play quarterback if he even gets time on the man advantage. In his time in the J20 Nationell, he also spent 39 minutes in the box in just 17 games, signaling a necessity for improved discipline.
Dominik Badinka – NHL Draft Projection
Badinka has the potential to be a steal in the second round of this draft. It’s a near-certainty that he doesn’t move up to the late-first, projecting more as a mid-second rounder than anything else. His size in and of itself is an appealing target to NHL general managers, and pairing that with mobility and a high hockey IQ should draw some warranted attention early on the second day of the draft. Personally, I would take a flier on him after the 25th selection depending on who is available, but in all likelihood, he doesn’t go that high.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Quotables
“His mobility and composure under pressure are crucial for his success as a transition defender. Badinka is an aggressive defenseman who often showcases positional awareness and physical power, helping him effectively defend the rush and block the slot in the SHL.” – Sebastian High, Dobber Prospects
“Badinka is a calm, mobile defenseman with size and two-way ability. He’s excellent on retrievals and breakouts, which enabled him to adjust to the SHL quickly and be given more and more ice time. He’s an excellent puck mover who likes to have the puck on his stick and dictates play with poise and confidence.” – SpokedZ, SMAHT Scouting
“One of the first things that [struck] me when I watch him play is how confident he is with the puck. He doesn’t seem to get stressed when he gets pressured, which allows him to make rational decisions and care for the puck once he’s got it.” – Erik Sjolund, FC Hockey
Strengths
- Excellent poise, confidence, and calmness while under pressure
- Transitional puck-moving ability
- High hockey IQ
- Strong first pass
- Excellent straight-line mobility
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
- Lacks high-end stickhandling ability
- Doesn’t project to dance on the blue line in the offensive zone
- Can improve penalty box discipline
NHL Potential
If Badinka hits his peak, he projects as a solid second-pair defenseman with two-way ability and a possibility of quarterbacking a second power-play unit. His game somewhat reminds me of Damon Severson with his mobility and IQ, but he likely won’t reach the ability that Severson has. I could see him capping out at around 25 points while minute-munching defensive time in the NHL. He is, as one of the draft’s oldest players, also more polished than some of the other names that might go ahead of him in the draft, meaning that he could see NHL time sooner rather than later.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk: 2.5/5, Reward 3.8/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense: 5/10, Defense: 7.5/10
Awards/Achievements
Badinka aided his team in placing silver in the U20 SM-sarja in 2022-23. The previous season, he led the Czechia U17 league in assists (44) and total points (53).
Dominik Badinka Stats
Videos
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