Stanislav Svozil

December 2022 – Svozil comes into his third World Junior Championships as one of the leaders on the team and will see big minutes on the point. He has upped his offensive play for the Regina Pats, with 37 points in 28 games so far this season, good enough for third in the WHL among defensemen. Mark Dubreuil

July 2021 – Svozil was selected in the third round, 69th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2021 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

December 2020 – Stanislav Svozil is a bit of a raw defenseman who has the potential to round out into a do-it-all, minutes eater on the back end. He possesses very good mobility overall with a good skating stride and the ability to move in all directions, he stays in front of defenders and uses his stick to disrupt play. He works well with his teammates in transition, reading when and where to jump into the play without making many mistakes in that regard. The offensive upside in his game exists and he isn’t a black hole offensively by any means. He has a good shot from the blueline, thanks to a heavy release and the ability to just hit the net. He is a skilled passer in the offensive zone as well. The consistency in the offensive zone is what he will need to rectify as he moves forward. The responsible game he plays is a result of his time playing against men. The young Czech defender is representing his country at the World Juniors and will be looked at to be a difference-maker for a team that is a bit lacking in the high-end talent department. He should get a bit of runway to showcase his offensive ability playing with his age group again after playing in the Czech men’s league last year and coming home with the league’s Rookie of the Year award. As he matures, his offensive game should come to the forefront as he becomes more comfortable with the speed and strength required to play consistently important minutes against men. Svozil should be in the conversation for the first round fo the 2021 NHL Draft at this point and some have him in the top-20 players available. Only time will tell where this year’s top Czech player will be selected in July. Tony Ferrari