Observations:

April 2015- In the thick of the playoff hunt when the Red Wings needed every point they could get they made the decision to recall Petr Mrazek, again. Management believed when Howard wasn’t pulling his weight that Mrazek gave them the best chance to win so when the frequently injured Jonas Gustavasson got concussed it, the decision was made. Both Wings netminders faltered down the stretch and after a consecutive string of poor performances by Jimmy, Babcock decided to give Mrazek a chance to redeem his own fortunes and run with the job. He followed up his coaches faith in him with a 35 save shutout to close out the year and clinch third in the Atlantic and a first round date with the Tampa Bay Lightning. After his impressive performance it was decided that the Czech Republic youngster would open the playoffs as the starter ahead of their lone All-Star selection and time will tell if the decision was the right one. Travis Watson

March 2015- Petr Mrazek has taken home the CCM AHL Player of the Week award honours for the week ending March 1st 2015. Mrazek went a perfect 3-0 and near perfect stat line of 0.67GAA- 0.976SV% and two shutouts combining to stop 83 of 85 shots fired his way. On the back of his amazing performances Grand Rapids continues their tear being winners of seven straight road games and currently sit 1st in the Midwest Conference and second overall in the Western Conference standings which may seem hard to believe after their tough start to the 2014-15 campaign. These team is well equipped to make a long playoff run and stellar play like this past week could help return the Griffins to glory again! Travis Watson

Mrazek held down the fort admirably in Jimmy Howards absence in Detroit, ending his run as interim starter with a 13-5-1 record. His 2.55GAA-0.909SV% and 1 shutout don’t blow you away but if you tuned into any game Mrazek was always active and routinely made the key saves needed to win games. Travis Watson

January 2015- Petr Mrazek has taken over the role of interim starter for the Red Wings after Jimmy Howard succombed to an unfortunate injury. Howard is expected to be out two-to-four weeks with a slight groin tear and the young Czech will look to prove his value and use this as an audition for his full-time role with the Wings next season. His first start as the lead man was a stellar one as his 25 save performance led the red and white to a 3-1 road victory over the Buffalo Sabres. The win came on a night when there were three native Czech Republic goaltenders on the ice as Mrazek was countered by Michael Neurvith who got the start on a night when Buffalo honoured and retired Dominik Hasek’s jersey. Hasek was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014 and was one of the greatest goaltenders if not the greatest goaltender of his generation. Maybe seeing this ceremony for his country mate can help spark a winning streak for Mrazek as the young Vitkovice native has never lacked for confidence and certainly has the track record for it with a 9-8-0-1 record in the NHL with two shutouts and a dazzling 1.98 GAA and 0.923 save percentage. Definitely a must add for the short-term and a great option to target for the long-term with the injury prone Howard and UFA to be Jonas Gustavsson the only goalies blocking his path. Travis Watson

November 2014- Mrazek is back with the Red Wings after their backup Jonas Gustavsson went down with a dislocated left shoulder while attempting a game winning save. Mrazek has proven every bit capable of handling the crease for Detroit and he proved that to be true again in his first action of the season, a 4-3 come from behind win over the Winnipeg Jets where he stopped 28 shots. The young Czech netminder has showed well when given the opportunity in the NHL but Jimmy Howard is resurfacing as one of the top goalies in the league so it’s unlikely he will be unleashed yet. However, Mrazek should make management feel at ease in knowing he isn’t much of a downgrade if at all when he steps inbetween the pipes. It even has many wondering if Detroit should be looking to move Gustavsson when he’s back and healthy. If you are able to stash goalies in your fantasy league then Mrazek is a name to know and add. Travis Watson

June 2014- It appears Mrazek’s fate for next season has been determined, Jonas Gustavsson was re-signed to a one-year contract extension meaning the young Czech netminder will be manning the crease in Grand Rapids. This is probably the best move by Detroit management as it means he’s going to get undisputed number one minutes and potentially starting as many as 60 games next season. It’s probably best for his development to get in game action day-in and day-out rather then playing once a week in the NHL. You just have to hope that Mrazek doesn’t lose his competitive drive playing in a league that he no longer has anything more to prove and therefore doesn’t take a step back. Look for him to come up big again and prove that he should’ve been in Detroit all along. Travis Watson

April 2014- Petr Mrazek has pieced together a fantastic season split between Grand Rapids and Detroit and for his efforts he was named to the AHL Second All-Star team after posting the best goals against average (2.07) and second best save percentage (0.926) of all goaltenders. Coach Mike Babcock rewarded the young netminder with a start for Detroit’s season finale against the Blues and Mrazek pulled out all the stops making a couple stunning acrobatic plays enroute to a 3-0 shutout victory. If his stats weren’t impressive enough in the AHL for you then you should check out his numbers in Detroit as he actually finished with a better goals against average (1.74) and save percentage (0.927) despite only compiling a 2-4-0 record in nine games. It has only been limited action for the Czech Republic native but he seems to rise to the occaison again and again when called upon and definitely looks ready to take over the back-up job in Detroit next season and even push Jimmy Howard for starts. With the Monster, Jonas Gustavsson a free agent it looks like he will get that opportunity and maybe 2015 will be the year we finally see some youthful exuberance with this Red Wings cluband not because of injuries. Travis Watson

November 2013- Mrazek picked up his first career NHL shutout in just his 3rd game of his career when he helped the veteran-laden Wings take down the youthful Oilers 5-0. It was relatively light work for Mrazek in this one as the Oilers were only able to muster up 12 shots on goal but even so Mrazek is clearly a prospect to know especially for dynasty leagues and as insurance for when the next inevitable injury strikes the Red Wings crease. Travis Watson

June 2013- Seems as though the Grand Rapid Griffins believe in the old adage that the third time is a charm. After failing to close out Syracuse with two chances at home after racing out to a three games to none lead, the Griffins were finally able to finish the Crunch off with a 5-2 victory in game 6. The Griffins were backstopped by their rookie sensation, Petr Mrazek, who finished the post season with a record of 15-9 with a 2.31 GAA- 0.916 SV%- and four shutouts en route to Calder Cup glory. Mrazek was absolutely fantastic for the Griffins all playoffs long and will even find himself in the AHL Record book for his efforts tying Ondrej Pavelec (Chicago,2008) and Matt Hackett (Houston,2011) with 24 games played by a goaltender in one playoff run. Travis Watson

March 2013- Mrazek got to enjoy his first cup of coffee in February winning in his debut 5-1 over Detroits’ divisional foes St. Louis. He was also able to get another start under his belt losing that bout and came out with a 2.02 GAA and .920 save percentage. Mrazek was sent back down due to the numbers game and to help hone his trade as the starter for the AHL affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins. Looking more and more like the Wings goaltender of the future. Keep a close watch. Travis Watson

{source}
<div id=”imageright”><script type=”text/javascript” src=”http://ap.lijit.com/www/delivery/fpi.js?z=199099&u=dobbersports&width=300&height=250″></script></div>
{/source}

December 2012 – Mrazek has been extremely strong for the Griffins currently posting a 10-3 record with a GAA of 2.21 and .919 SV%. His strong goaltending has catapulted the Griffins within reach of the top teams of the conference while jumping Thomas McCollum on the depth chart. He started in the ECHL this season and received a recall in November, after which he won six straight. Mrazek is rather unflappable and has no problem showing his emotions and excitement within a game. (Many will remember his jumping around as a member of the Czech Republic WJC team) He has a very bright outlook in the organization and has more talent than many of the goalies Detroit has owned in a long time. The Wings could chose to give him their regular four year development plan or allow him to ascend to challenge Jimmy Howard as early as next season. He is not a goalie in need of refinement, mostly just continued experience with strong shooters and systems. Currently can be viewed as a bit of a ‘hidden gem’ his name is not yet mentioned in many fantasy hockey circles and is forgotten behind the likes of Subban, Vasilevski, Lehner, Holtby and others, yet he may be growing to backstop the best organization in hockey. Jason Banks

October, 2012 – The strong goaltender out of the 67’s system starred at the World Juniors for the Czech Republic. He makes up for his lack of size with his quickness, good positioning. He is very determined and is expected to play for Grand Rapids of the AHL this season.  I expect Mrazek to have a smooth transition to pro hockey due to his hockey sense, puck handling as well as his aforementioned skills.

Fantasy Outlook: B+

Big upside although he could use a few seasons in the minors.

Footage:

Compilation of Mrazek’s highlight saves from the 2012 WJC:

{youtube}9TVpMrFNzOY{/youtube}

Buy the latest Fantasy Prospects Report here.

Petr Mrazek’s statistics provided by Elite Prospects