[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Finnish Edition, Vol. 9):

LW Tomas Poletin (6'1",196lbs)
Pelicans (U20): 25gp/ 13g/ 7a/ 20pts, +14, 14 PIM
Pelicans (Liiga): 5gp/ 0g/ 0a/ 0pts, -1, 0 PIM

Tomas Poletin (ranked #13 for EU Skaters, #67 by McKenzie, and #61 by Button) is actually from Czechia, but plays for the Pelicans hockey club in Lahti, Finland- and is a two-way power-forward with a heavy game that plays in all situations. He has represented his homeland in many international events, including the 2024 U-18 Tournament (2 points in 5 games), and last summer's Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, where he placed 4th in scoring for Team Czechia with 3 goals and 4 points in 5 games. Goal-scoring is his primary weapon, as he's not really a playmaker, and doesn't drive play. He attacks the net hard in search of tips and rebounds, and scores most of his goals within 10-15 feet of the net. He has great net-front presence, with soft hands and acute reflexes, and displays high-end spatial awareness to slip into soft spots in coverage to position himself in high-danger areas. His shot from further out is fairly hard and heavy, but it has been said that he misses the net a lot, and falls victim to a high number of blocks. Poletin is an above-average skater, and he's agile- making it difficult to pin him down. He has a nice explosive-burst at his disposal, and excellent edges to make quick cuts, and tight pivots.

Poletin employs a hard-nosed, pro-style power game that's simple but effective. He's hard and heavy on the forecheck, difficult to handle along the boards, makes life miserable for defenders down-low, and wins battles in the greasy areas. He will absorb a hit to make a play, take abuse in front of the net, and his disruptive play on the forecheck is a mainstay of his game. Poletin is also strong on the cycle, and even though he's not considered to be overly creative or dynamic, he reads the ice quite well- and completes upwards of 82% of his passes to the slot. He has a good awareness of his surroundings to make sound decisions, and his off-puck game is a strength; he seems to know where to be at all times to best support the action, and to be a playable option for his teammates. He recovers a high number of pucks in all 3 zones, because he is always in a position off-puck to be able to capitalize on his opponents' mistakes. Poletin is hard on the puck, and maintains possession through traffic for his team by protecting the puck extremely well, shielding it with his body, handling outside the range of his opponents, and keeping his feet pumping under physical pressure. This quality of his enables him to contribute to transition, along with his skating, and with the help of his deft small-area passing.

One of Poletin's most important traits is his high-end work-ethic; he's always engaged, and always in the middle of the action, displaying maturity and accountability. He's a leader by example, and has worn the "C" for his country in several international events. Poletin is reliable and aggressive defensively, showing immaculate positioning and keen awareness. He is highly disruptive and physical in his own zone, supporting his D down low in battles, and he wields an active stick to intercept passes, block lanes, and poke pucks off of sticks. As he does in the other 3 zones, he skates with his head up to scan his surroundings to identify threats. His defensive ability gives him a solid NHL-floor, but he has the skill and intelligence to potentially make it as a solid, middle-six power-winger. First, he will have to get faster and stronger to be able to handle bigger opponents in the pros, but has to further develop the power of his shot, as well as his shooting efficiency. I like this kid- look for him in the 2nd, or 3rd round.