As a Langley native that attends 80%+ of Giants games, I've actually liked Honzek. Take that with a grain of salt as I'm also Slovak and I'm rooting for him, but he's had good flashes. While I think his season so far is probably not where many have hoped, he has played well, and it's probably too early for y'all to panic on him as he's likely still recovering from his training camp injury.
He primarily plays with Halaburda and Lipinski, who are solid players; Lipinski is impressively tough to get off the puck and Halaburda has an A+ work ethic, but neither of whom have particularly great finesse or hands. I see Honzek make great passes and plays to them semi-frequently that usually aren't capitalized on. Considering his profile is that of a big play with a dangerous shot, I think he'd benefit from playing with players who complement his skillset a bit more as neither Halaburda nor Lipinski, at least in my opinion, have strong enough hockey sense to capitalize on some of Honzek's passes and setups.
That said, when Honzek is on, he's very sharp. He has flashes and periods where he is tenacious on the puck, making sharp passes and getting open to try and wire his signature shot. His first period from his last home game against Portland was a good example where he didn't score but was all over the puck and opposing team. But he also has lots of moments where he gets frustrated and coughs up the puck, and from an amateur fan's POV, that seems to be his main weakness atm, his tendency to lose focus and get frustrated. Lots of moments where I see him chase a play and beaver tap aggressively for the puck only to not get it. I don't know if it's because he's trying to do too much all by himself, if he's frustrated with his teammates or something entirely else, but I think he'd benefit from simplifying his game and focusing on what he does well because when he's focused and bears down, he can be imposing and can take over shifts.
That being said, what I would say is maybe a bit disappointing is that day in and night out I feel like the player I notice the most on the Giants is actually usually Cameron Schmidt, a 17 year old eligible for the 2025 draft, who has top notch pace and great skill in tight. Getting outshined by a 5'8" player a full two drafts younger than you in your D+1 isn't always a great look.
Even as a Canucks fan I am rooting for Honzek, he has a great shot, good size that he knows how to use when he puts his mind to it, and lots of skill, but he loses focus and seems to grip his stick a bit too tight at times. I think it's too early to panic, with the right coaching I think he can be re-focused on the things he does well. Next season will be telling for him.
