Scouts from at least 20 NHL teams have journeyed to the heartland to watch 6'8" defenseman Andrej Sustr, a 20-year-old Czech-born sophomore at Nebraska-Omaha. Slow to develop, he went untouched through three drafts, which means he is now an unrestricted free agent. His role model is 6'9" Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, though most scouts feel Sustr will be less of a developmental project than Chara.
You’ll notice that while Sustr doesn’t put the puck in the net with much regularity, his assist total indicates a player with good vision and the ability to distribute the puck. Those who watched Sustr play for Nebraska-Omaha during the Ice Breaker tournament in Kansas City last weekend, surely noticed that the young man also makes an excellent first pass out of the zone, plays a calm and collected game under pressure, and skates surprisingly smoothly for a big man.
He’s also capable of absolutely wiring the puck when given space, as Notre Dame goaltender Steven Summerhays found out in the championship game of the Ice Breaker tournament.
Although Nebraska-Omaha ultimately fell to Notre Dame in the championship game, Sustr was one of the players that stood out all tournament long.
A major factor in Sustr’s development to this point is the fact that he left home when he was 18 to play for the Kenai River Brown Bears of the NAHL, where in addition to finding himself in a different country and surrounded by an unfamiliar culture, he had to adjust to the North American style of game. Sustr’s leap of faith has served him well, though. As Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais alludes to in the below video, Sustr is a mainstay on the Mavericks’ penalty kill, and has a solid set of hands for a man as big as he is.
Sustr’s most obvious comparable is without a doubt big Slovak Zdeno Chara – for obvious reasons. That said, to hear Pierre Maguire tell it, Sustr’s play may be more akin to that of Buffalo tower of power Tyler Myers, who doesn’t play quite as physically punishing a game as Chara, but instead relies on smart, heads-up decision making.
Last edited by sureLoss; 01-28-2013 at 04:53 PM.
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Maybe our new czech connection can sell him on Calgary?
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Calgary Flames, PLEASE GO TO THE NET! AND SHOOT THE PUCK! GENERATING OFFENSE IS NOT DIFFICULT! SKATE HARD, SHOOT HARD, CRASH THE NET HARD!
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So what's the projection with this monster? Is he expected to sign with an NHL team and transition directly onto their NHL roster, or is he projected to need some AHL seasoning.
Maybe our new czech connection can sell him on Calgary?
If the Flames believe he is the real deal, then I hope they use any tools at their disposal to sign him...using Horak, Cervenka, and Hudler, though not actual tools, would be a great idea to convince him to come here. Especially, since the Oilers got Schultz last year.
Why not here? Plus, we need d-men prospects.
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he was at Tampa's summer development camp; Yzerman was aggressive in going after college free agents. Reportedly (rumoured?) they were close to signing Dan Dekeyser, and signed JT Brown (a player Feaster wanted)
Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie No surprise, but Andrej Sustr, 6-foot-8 Univ of Nebraska-Omaha junior dman (UFA), has officially decided to leave school/field NHL offers.
Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie
UNO's college season ended on the weekend. Sustr will weigh his options, and he has many, this week. No rush or timetable on a decision.
Feaster... get this kid somehow, whatever it takes. It's getting a player without wasting a draft pick, which is something this organization should be going full force on since we don't have a 2nd this year.
On a side note: I see us trading down in the draft to have to reclaim other lost picks... as we always do.
Would be nice to get that kid, but I'm pretty sure those college kids and their "family advisers" will look at the NHL rosters and look for an opportunity. They'll see us carrying 8 defensemen because of an unnecessary logjam of #5-7 blueliners in a heartbeat ...
On a side note, I noticed Trevor van Riemsdyk in the highlights of the Providence-UNH match yesterday. He has had a very nice season too, maybe he'd look at turning pro already?
Would be nice to get that kid, but I'm pretty sure those college kids and their "family advisers" will look at the NHL rosters and look for an opportunity. They'll see us carrying 8 defensemen because of an unnecessary logjam of #5-7 blueliners in a heartbeat ...
On a side note, I noticed Trevor van Riemsdyk in the highlights of the Providence-UNH match yesterday. He has had a very nice season too, maybe he'd look at turning pro already?
they should also see that there are 3 of them without a contract for next ear (2 albeit are RFAs) and another that has barely played because he can't keep up with the style of play.
Sustr would really only need to outplay Sarich and Smith to get in the lineup. Plus he may know he isn't NHL ready yet, just wants to sign now to burn a year off the ELC.
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21 teams have contacted him. I am sure the Flames are one of them, but you have to think that their chances of getting him are slim. Especially because he is already familiar with two organizations, having attended their development camps.
The key to getting the better CFA's is to get the inside track. If the Flames can't get the better FA's, then the precious contract spots go to guys like David Eddy and Turner Elson.
Feaster... get this kid somehow, whatever it takes. It's getting a player without wasting a draft pick, which is something this organization should be going full force on since we don't have a 2nd this year.
On a side note: I see us trading down in the draft to have to reclaim other lost picks... as we always do.
Yeah, just like we did in Baertschi. We do so in a weak draft last year (the first time under Feaster) and it's armageddon. What is disappointing is players like Sustr and Tanner Pearson slip through the cracks and we don't nab them with 7th rounders and instead have to bid for their services with 29 other teams. Wish the scouts could uncover gems like this in the draft so we don't get into bidding wars.
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