The Windsor Spitfires knew that this summer’s two-round Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft will be a challenge. With a late first-round pick on Wednesday morning, general manager Bill Bowler took a swing and went to Czechia with his selection. However, now there may be more questions than answers.
Every season, each of the 60 teams in the CHL gets a chance to select up to two Import players. That’s any player whose parents or guardians primarily reside outside of Canada or the United States. It’s a rotating draft, so each league – Western Hockey League (WHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – drafts one player before they start again (OHL, QMJHL, WHL, OHL, etc.). After finishing third in the OHL in 2022-23, the Spitfires knew they would be in tough with the 52nd overall pick. With the draft being more of a guessing game due to limited player viewings, taking a big swing was the only option.
Bowler Selects Czechia Defenceman
After waiting about an hour and watching six teams pass on their pick ahead of him, Bowler took his chance. A year after taking Czechia defenceman Tomas Hebek, who has since gone home, the Spitfires went back to Czechia, selecting 17-year-old defenceman Josef Eichler.
The 6-foot, 192-pounder played for HC Skoda Plzen U20 in Pilsen, Czechia (English for Plzen), located southwest of Prague and not far from Germany’s eastern border. In 38 games last season, he had nine assists and 83 penalty minutes (PIM). He also played 13 games for the Czechia Under-18 international team with two assists and 29 PIM. He does have some offence, though, as evidenced by 19 points and 141 PIM in 33 games for Plzen’s Under-17 team in 2021-22.
There isn’t a lot of information available about Eichler’s game. Combine that with the pick being so late, and expectations are lower. He’s not likely going to step into the Spitfires’ lineup and put up a career season. However, given the club’s high graduation and younger roster, there might be an opportunity to show what he can do and continue his development. With that said, there is one big question mark that now surrounds the club.
Spitfires Still Have Dionicio and Sobolev
Taking Eichler raises an issue as they now have three possible Imports for 2023-24. On top of Eichler, they have Swiss defenceman Rodwin Dionicio, 19, and Russian defenceman Daniil Sobolev, 20. Teams are only permitted to have two on their roster.
Dionicio, who the club acquired at the January trade deadline, is a 6-foot-2, 211-pounder, who was just drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in late June. He broke out last season with 43 points in 33 games for the Spitfires and is set to be a major player on the club in 2023-24. That’s why Bowler didn’t use his second-round pick.
Related: OHL: Spitfires Get Castle and Dionicio from IceDogs Before Deadline
The 6-foot, 215-pound Sobolev was chosen in the 2020 Import Draft. While his offence isn’t lightning anything up, with just 26 points in 110 games, he has become a fixture on defence with his physical play. The Montreal Canadiens’ 2021 fifth-rounder wasn’t signed by the Canadiens so his status is up in the air. However, as he’s an overage (20-year-old) candidate for 2023-24, the Spitfires could protect him while still making a pick.
Again, we know that Dionicio will likely return to the Spitfires this Fall, taking up one Import spot. If Eichler doesn’t report, then Sobolev could fill both an Import slot and an over-age slot. Only one OHL team had that situation last season (Mississauga Steelheads – defenceman Kasper Larsen). If Eichler does report, then Bowler has a lot on his plate. This was a risky move that could pay off or fizzle and be forgotten within a year.
As of July 6, the team hasn’t said anything about Eichler, which is abnormal compared to Import drafts dating back to 2019. However, the summer is still fairly young, and there’s time to get everything sorted out. This is just one more piece to the Spitfires’ 2023-24 puzzle.