[News] With the 16th selection, the Flames select LW Samuel Honzek

[dammage79]

I will not be surprised if Honzek is in the top 5 of whl scoring next year. He's quick enough as is, if he adds muscle and a little speed, yikes.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

Do you have the even strength #s for all the WHL draft eligibles this year? And/or where do you get it?

I got that by going on the whl.ca site and doing it the old fashioned way by hand. I am sure someone who was not born in the 70’s May know how to use the internet better and find a proper website.

[cannon7]

Honzek was all over the rankings.

Honzek’s Skating

When looking at Honzek’s 6’4” and 185 pound frame, most would think he’d be an average skater, or a good one “for his size.” However, that’s not quite true. He is a very good skater… regardless of his size. He’s just as fast as some smaller players, and can even be faster than some too. His stride is mostly technically sound, which will make NHL skating coaches drool over him. Honzek’s speed is surprisingly high end, and that’s due to the power he has in his first few strides. He is impressively explosive, making his short area burst stand out.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect is his edge work. While he isn’t the most consistent in this area, he can change directions effectively, and with his size, that’s scary. He’s hard to shake off when he’s on someone, and that can cause headaches for opponents. Good size, really good skater, and a GM is already on the phone trying to get this guy. What more could a GM want?

Offensive Abilities

When it comes to Honzek’s offensive abilities, therein lies the discrepancy. He’s a big player, but he largely plays on the perimeter. Especially with his passing. When he possesses the puck, he generally sticks to the outside and looks to make a quick pass. Those passes are generally aimed at the point or it’s cycled down low to a teammate behind the net or in the corner. He hardly ever aims into the high-danger areas of the ice. As a matter of fact, while this is just a one-game sample, six of his eight even-strength passes in the offensive zone were aimed at low-danger. On the powerplay, nine of his 11 pass attempts were aimed at low-danger.

As for his shooting, Honzek lacks consistency. Generally speaking, his shots usually hit the net, but they don’t always have the necessary power to be consistently threatening. He also doesn’t often pick corners or find a hole in a goalie. His shooting and goal-scoring is heavily reliant on his anticipation and off-puck abilities, finding soft spots in the offensive zone and striking at the right time. While his IQ and timing are efficient, he needs to work on his pure shooting ability if he wants to translate that skill to the next level. Paired with his mostly possession-based playmaking, he’s not the most noticeable on the ice. All around, he needs to work on his pace and attacking the slot area more consistently.

Samuel Honzek’s Transitional Abilities

Honzek is a good skater with size to boot. His hands can, at times, flash when in a tight spot, but he doesn’t show it off too often. However, he isn’t relied on heavily by teammates in the transition game. He has a low impact in the neutral zone, as he generally leans on his teammates to move the puck. As an example, according to Mitch Brown’s and Lassi Alonen’s tracked data, over a span of 127 five on five minutes, Honzek was involved in just shy of 18 entries per 60 minutes, and just shy of 10 exits per 60. Meanwhile, the usual involvement rate for entries per 60 is 22 and higher, while exits sit around 15 per 60 or higher.

That being said, the same goes for his transition game as it does his offensive game. He needs to become more involved in the play and increase his pace. Because Honzek is effective through the neutral zone, due to all the traits mentioned earlier. Simply put, his skill is there, but it’s still raw. There’s time to figure it out, and it’s easier to coach up pace as opposed to the skills and size he currently possesses.

Honzek’s Defensive Zone Play

Honzek’s game, as mentioned above, is largely anticipation and effectiveness. Simple game, few mistakes, and keeping the puck moving in the right direction. All those traits remain in his defensive abilities. He may not be a game changer in this area, but there are several situations where he breaks up dangerous chances that could have become goals. His positioning is excellent, for the most part, and he has an effective and active stick. His size allows him to hold up well along the boards as well, and win those battles.

The one gripe that can be had with Honzek’s defensive game is, unless he anticipates a dangerous play coming, he does not move his feet a whole lot. Again, he relies on anticipation and maximizing his effectiveness, as opposed to chasing plays. Additionally, he isn’t always seen supporting his defence low, generally sticking to the hash marks or higher, and taking the high slot when the situation calls for it.

Samuel Honzek’s Potential

Honzek is an interesting player to project. When watching his game, on the surface, his ceiling isn’t very high. His skills are projectable to the next level, thanks in large part to the lack of mistakes and 200-foot abilities. But upon deeper inspection, it’s clear there is more in his game that needs to be unlocked. With his size, skating and potential raw skills finding their stride, he has the makings of a future top-six winger. Meanwhile, if he learns how to use his size better in terms of being more physical, and continues building his smart possession-based offence and effective defence, he projects well as a third-line forward in the future.

NHL Comparison

Based on only playing style and not a projection of skills, Samuel Honzek is comparable to a few NHLers. But one that sticks out the most is Dallas Stars captain, Jamie Benn. While Benn teeters on the line of what’s clean and dirty, especially following his recent suspension, the rest of his game is very similar to what Honzek has shown. Benn does not dazzle with skill on offence, and instead focuses on extending possession and grinding out the opposition. Additionally, he plays an all-around solid, but not outstanding, game in all three zones.

Reminds me of Ruzicka. Button definitely has a type.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I will not be surprised if Honzek isn't in the top 5 of whl scoring next year. He's quick enough as is, if he adds muscle and a little speed, yikes.

Please pardon my ignorance on the English language as English is my second language. The double negative thingy have me confused, so Honzek will be top 5 WHL scoring next year? Thanks in advance.

[GioforPM]

"Clean Jamie Benn". OK.

[taxbuster]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1674242180381306880

Really like the sound of him (except for mentioning Drai LOL)...sounds intelligent and confident. Like what I hear!

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Kid sounds very mature for his age.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

Please pardon my ignorance on the English language as English is my second language. The double negative thingy have me confused, so Honzek will be top 5 WHL scoring next year? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for pointing that out. Overall, yeah there's potential for him to get there. He'll be interesting to track.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I found it interesting that they were taking about working on things with Moore to help him process the game faster

Trying to get an edge, or a concern?

A concern. Under Most Overrated in the same article, a scout said this of Moore:

“He’s an elite skater, but he’s a 5-11 forward with average hockey sense. I don’t see him scoring a ton in the NHL. I worry you’re using a high pick on a small bottom-six forward who just buzzes around the ice with speed and energy.”

[keenan87]

So, where does Honzek rank in our prospecting rankings?

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

https://twitter.com/user/status/1674242180381306880

Really like the sound of him (except for mentioning Drai LOL)...sounds intelligent and confident. Like what I hear!

Nothing wrong with mentioning Draisaitl given that his personality and maturity already seems tenfold better than Leon's.

[midniteowl]

Very well spoken and his English is good.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

A concern. Under Most Overrated in the same article, a scout said this of Moore:

“He’s an elite skater, but he’s a 5-11 forward with average hockey sense. I don’t see him scoring a ton in the NHL. I worry you’re using a high pick on a small bottom-six forward who just buzzes around the ice with speed and energy.”

Sounds like Rico Fata

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Sounds like Conroy picked based on a few giants games he saw in person and either the fallers weren't scouted thoroughly by our guys or he vetoed his scouts to go with the guy he's seen.

Sorry based on what basis does it "sound like" any of that?

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by keenan87

So, where does Honzek rank in our prospecting rankings?

I would imagine 3. Coronato and Wolf would be the only two worth listing ahead of him.

[bluejays]

The critique of the guy is more than fair (or any guy the Flames could've chosen). People would've got upset at anyone not taken as the consensus best player available based on the little blurbs we all read, but specifically people really like particular attributes of skill (whether speed or shot or something else). It's alright. This stuff is always such a hit or miss. The rankings even within the season change dramatically. When the Flames have drafted they've done okay the past few seasons for where they were, so I'll trust they saw something in the guy. What kinda sucks is the extremists who are pissed, and also the shoelickers who would've said yes to anything the Flames did. I'm sure most are limited informed opinions anyway. Now I'm more curious what Conroy has up his sleeves trade wise.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

A concern. Under Most Overrated in the same article, a scout said this of Moore:

“He’s an elite skater, but he’s a 5-11 forward with average hockey sense. I don’t see him scoring a ton in the NHL. I worry you’re using a high pick on a small bottom-six forward who just buzzes around the ice with speed and energy.”

Sounds like Curtis Lazar

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

6’4” kid that can skate. I’m not sure what the problem is?

The problem is that the same people who insisted the Flames not tank to get a top ten pick (including a legitimate chance at winning a lotto for a top 3 pick) are complaining that the guy we took at 16th overall wasn't ranked in the top ten

I'm not especially excited about this pick, but I'm willing to see how it goes. And the 1st rounder isn't always the money pick. Back in 2011 we drafted Sven Baerstschi @ 13th... and John Gaudreau at 104th

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by troutman

The Honz!

Aaaaaaaay!

Except in this case it's a good thing he jumps the Sharks.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

A concern. Under Most Overrated in the same article, a scout said this of Moore:

“He’s an elite skater, but he’s a 5-11 forward with average hockey sense. I don’t see him scoring a ton in the NHL. I worry you’re using a high pick on a small bottom-six forward who just buzzes around the ice with speed and energy.”

We kinda have one of those now.