Draft Thoughts (5th-best Name in the Draft Edition):
RHD Ozbej Rep is one of the oldest players in the draft, born Sept.23rd, 2005 in Slovenia, just 9 days away from being included in the 2023 crop- which might be why he's being ignored. Rep wouldn't have been drafted last year as he was toiling in the Slovenian leagues, but he made the smart decision to play this season in Sweden for Sodertalje SK J20, where he was 8th in the league in scoring by defensemen with 29 points in 46 games. His production earned him 10 games in the AllSvenskan, Sweden's second-highest men's league, but he was unable to record any points. He was second on the J20 team in the playoffs with 3 points in 4 games.
Rep is a two-way defenseman who plays with energy and pace, and carries a physical presence. Perhaps his best asset is his effortless skating stride, with superb mobility in all directions. He has an explosive first-step with rapid acceleration, and is seamless in his transitions to backward skating. He can speed back into his defensive position in recovery after pinching into the zone and is strong on his edges, making him shifty and elusive when weaving around in traffic. Rep will activate into the play in order to snuff breakouts before they get going, and will deliver crushing hits at the line. He will also go to the slot for high-danger chances, cut to the middle to shoot, or activate to the circles to support the offense. He is a fine example of a modern, puck-moving defenseman who makes good decisions, but he generally makes safe and simple plays with low risk involved; this is also true in the way he QB's the play from the blueline, as he prefers the meat-and-potatoes play, but he flashes some high-end creativity and the ability to connect with more difficult passes. After scanning over both shoulders in retrievals, he makes intelligent first-passes to kick off the breakout, and can stretch the ice on occasion. In transition, he's a valuable contributor and can carry across clean, controlled exits and entries while weaving through traffic, or he can again make short, simple passes that avoid risk. He owns a powerful point shot that he gets on net consistently, and he often uses it as a playmaking tool to facilitate second-chance opportunities for teammates.
Defensively, Rep exhibits outstanding gap control, as he's able to match footwork with the quickest opponents, and can separate them from the puck by throwing hard hits. He protects the front of his net with an active stick, and keeps guard over high-danger areas. He causes turnovers aplenty by smothering opponents of their time and space, but can sometimes overcommit when surfing across the ice to engage an attacker- and he can lose focus, resorting to standing still and puck-watching from time to time. Back in the offensive zone, he doesn't use his shot nearly enough, and looks for the pass even when a high-value shot is available. Most of his weaknesses center around his decision-making and lack of confidence under pressure in all areas- he can be forced into mistakes and giveaways. His stickhandling is a bit clunky, producing some turnovers because of mishandling, and can get worse when under duress. Despite these faults, he still may have solid upside as a bottom-4 defenseman in the NHL. Look for him in later rounds if he's deemed good enough to be picked.
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