Stanislav Svozil – 2021 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Stanislav Svozil

2020-21 Team: Kometa Brno (#11)
Date of Birth: January 17, 2003
Place of Birth: Prerov, Czech Republic
Ht: 6-foot-1 Wt: 179 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2021 first-year eligible

Rankings

In a year headlined by highly touted defensive prospects in Owen Power and Luke Hughes, a certain Czech blueliner may be falling under the radar as a quality defensive prospect. Stanislav Svozil could arguably be one of the most complete prospects for the 2021 NHL Draft in having developed talent on both ends of the ice.

Svozil’s superb vision and above-average skating help him succeed offensively and defensively. His offensive totals lacked in his professional season in the Czech league. As a youngster playing professionally, he makes safe decisions at the offensive blueline, rarely ever causing a turnover.

His hockey IQ is strongly developed from playing about two seasons of professional Czech hockey. Svozil knows when to join the rush, or when to hang back and be an option once his team establishes possession in the offensive zone. While he may not be particularly exciting, or elite offensively, he makes smart decisions as a youngster playing against men.

His defensive play is similar to his offense – while it may not be the most prominent, he makes quality decisions that lead to the success of his team. His mobility and ability to change direction make him very effective at defending the rush. Svozil is responsible and often makes the correct reads when in the defensive zone.

Other THW Draft Profiles:

Stanislav Svozil – NHL Draft Projection

There is little doubt in my mind that Svozil will be taken in the first round of the NHL Draft. After the big four defensemen of Hughes, Power, Brandt Clarke, and Simon Edvinsson, there is little consensus on who would be taken next. Svozil’s success at both ends of the ice make him an attractive selection as the fifth defenseman to be drafted, and I could see him go anywhere from 15th to 30th overall.

Quotables

“One real stand-out ability here is directly related to his high IQ. He anticipates what is going to happen next extremely well. Especially in terms of pucks being turned over, or what passing options opponents will take through the neutral zone. The result of this is that he intercepts passes and gets his stick in lanes with great prevalence. This applies both when defending the rush, and when set up defensively. The man from Přerov is also very aggressive at his own blue-line and has a good gap for his age, and breaks up a lot of entries with his extremely active stick alongside great back-wards and lateral mobility.” – Alexander Appleyard, Smaht Scouting

Related: THW’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide

“He possesses very good mobility overall with a good skating stride and the ability to move in all directions, he stays in front of defenders and uses his stick to disrupt play. He works well with his teammates in transition, reading when and where to jump into the play without making many mistakes in that regard. The offensive upside in his game exists and he isn’t a black hole offensively by any means. He has a good shot from the blueline, thanks to a heavy release and the ability to just hit the net. He is a skilled passer in the offensive zone as well.” – Tony Ferrari, Dobber Prospects

“He is positionally sound, keeping himself between the puck-carrier and the net when needed. When the puck is on the opposite side, he is not afraid to engage in a net-front battle. Facing off against men, there are times he loses those battles, but he does hold his own more often than not. Svozil also has an excellent sense of how to use his stick effectively and efficiently with consistency as well. It shows up when defending against the rush as well.” – Kyle Pereira, Last Word on Hockey

Strengths

  • Vision
  • Skating
  • Defensive Responsibility
  • Hockey Sense/IQ

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

  • Puck Skills
  • High-End Talent

NHL Potential

There’s little doubt in my mind that Svozil will develop into at least a second-pairing defenseman, if not more. He succeeds at nearly everything as a defenseman, appearing as a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. If he could develop some high-end skill to make him a more dynamic threat offensively, he could become a stellar player.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 1.5/5, Reward – 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 6/10, Defense – 8/10

Stanislav Svozil Statistics

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