[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (U-18 Edition, Vol.13):

Team Slovakia came to play this year at the U-18 tournament, finishing in 4th and making their presence felt in every game. It was no different for Slovak LD Samuel Kupec, who was a defensive presence every time he stepped on the ice, as well as a physical one. Kupec is already built like a man, at 6'3",209lbs, and spent most of his time this season playing in men's leagues, with 26 games in the Slovenska hokejova liga (Slovakia's second-tier men's league) picking up 2 assists and 18 penalty minutes, and 32 games in the Extraliga (Slovakia's top men's league) for HK Dukla Trencin, putting up 1 assist. On Dukla Trencin's U20 squad, he posted 3 points in 8 games to go with 12 PIM, and contributed 4 points in 9 playoff games. In the U-18's, he formed a formidable shut-down duo with Fabian Licko, and both managed to tie for second-place on the team in D scoring, with 2 points apiece, although these points came in the contest against Norway, who aren't exactly a powerhouse opponent.

Kupec is a stay-at-home, shutdown defenseman who can ride shotgun with the more offensively-inclined rearguards on his team and compliment them. He plays a very simple, risk-free game with the puck, and employs a meat-and-potatoes style to avoid turnovers. He is hard to play against, first- because of his intimidating physical game, and second- because he skates very well. He's very difficult to outrun, both in open ice and in small-areas, as he owns a quick first-step and has a peppy short-burst. He's agile as well, with the ability to turn quickly, and transitions fairly seamlessly. Kupec plays a physical game, and likes to deliver big hits and play the body, but he also won't hesitate to lay some lumber in the form of slashes to the stick, and crosschecks. Though he lacks offense and creativity, he handles and protects the puck well, and can make a good first-pass when he has reasonable time and space to do so. His numbers in junior are respectable at first glance, but the Slovakian U20 league is rather inferior when it comes to quality of competition.

Kupec can cover a huge patch of ice defensively with his reach and his disruptive stick, especially when combined with his mobility and awareness- he is able to intercept passes, and cut off lanes expertly. He boxes opponents out from the net quite well, showing strength when pushing attackers out of the crease, and when he pins them to the boards to smother them. Kupec competes hard, and has a solid work-ethic. In retrievals, he scans over both shoulders to survey his options and wins the puck quickly, but the main knock on him is that he can be pressured into making mistakes on his breakouts. I didn't see any turnovers in this situation, as it seemed like he would use the boards and glass to clear the puck if he got into trouble. His decision-making has been called into question at times, but it's his rush-defense that's most concerning- he was burned a few times, most notably by James Hagens, although Hagens burned just about everybody in this tournament. I think that the problem may lie with his gap-control, and his anticipation in these situations- sometimes he gives his opponents too much room to move, and too much time to think. Based on what I saw at this tournament, Kupec may be in tough to get drafted, but if he is chosen, he'll wait until the later rounds.