WC: 2021 Czech Republic Roster Talk

[BigBadBoar]

Jakub Galvas may be injured.

Yeah, he's under examination in the hospital. It would be bad for him if he is really injured but I am not sure if he would make the team to be honest. Or, perhaps he would make the long list of 10 D-men thanks to the extension of rosters this year, but I am sceptical about him making the top 7 D actually dressed for the game. So the injury would be bad for him of course, but I don't think it would affect the team much.

 

[Voodoozz]

I was not completely sure if he accepts since as far as I know, he used to have some bad personal conflicts with Martin Straka back then in Plzeň, when Straka was the captain and Kovář was a young talent. And Straka is the assistant coach now. But apparently they both left that behind which is only good of course.

I think that wasn't serious at all. That was just Straka pushing Kovář to work hard on and off the ice since he saw his tremendeous talent. It was actually Straka who wanted Kovář in the Pilsen A squad back in 2009, despite the junior coaches telling him Kovář can't skate. In 2013 Kovář had the only assist on Straka's cup clinching goal and was the playoff MVP. I'm pretty sure there hasn't been any bad blood there.

 

[Czechboy]

I agree in that I didn't think Galvas was going to be top 6 D... however, I can't figure out who it will be and don't know everyone's side. Let's assume Simek and Galvas are out.

Defensemen (11)
Jakub Galvas - Jukurit, Liiga
Libor Hájek - New York Rangers, NHL
Filip Hronek - Detroit Red Wings, NHL
Dominik Mašín - Amur Khabarovsk, KHL
Michal Moravčík - Tappara, Liiga
David Musil - HC Oceláři Třinec, Extraliga
David Sklenička - Jokerit, KHL
Jan Ščotka - HC VERVA Litvínov, Extraliga
Libor Šulák - Kärpat Oulu, Liiga
Andrej Šustr - Kunlun Red Star, KHL
Ondřej Vitásek - Bílí Tygři Liberec, Extraliga

Hronek and Hajek.
Masin and Musil (pure favoritism from me)
Sulak and Sustr

That's probably what I'd want to see... in a perfect world Simek still makes it.

FTR.. I'll be shocked if they cut Moravcik or Sklenicka.

 

[Czechboy]

Forwards are even harder!

Forwards (17)
Matěj Blümel - HC Dynamo Pardubice, Extraliga
Rudolf Červený - Pelicans, Liiga
Jakub Flek - HC Energie Karlovy Vary, Extraliga
Robin Hanzl - Spartak Moskva, KHL
Filip Chytil - New York Rangers, NHL
Jan Kovář - EV Zug, NL
Radan Lenc - Bílí Tygři Liberec, Extraliga
Adam Musil - Bílí Tygři Liberec, Extraliga
Lukáš Radil - Spartak Moskva, KHL
Jiří Sekáč - Avangard Omsk, KHL
Jiří Smejkal - Tappara, Liiga
Matěj Stránský - HC Oceláři Třinec, Extraliga
Šimon Stránský - Jukurit, Liiga
Michael Špaček - HC Oceláři Třinec, Extraliga
Filip Zadina - Detroit Red Wings, NHL
Hynek Zohorna - Amur Khabarovsk, KHL
Tomáš Zohorna - HC Dynamo Pardubice, Extraliga

I like all of them... Top 6 should be Spacek, Chytil, Vrana, Kubalik, Kovar and Zadina.

Lenc and Stransky seem to be locks.
Sekac, Radil and Hanzl?
Zohorna x 2 should make it.

That's 13 already... so it looks like I cut A. Musil, Smejkal and Simon Stansky. Maybe Cerveny is missing from the list as well.

It's nice probelms to have! I assume bottom 6 will be determined by who is C, good at PK and good at faceoffs.

 

[Goodman68]

Yeah, he's under examination in the hospital. It would be bad for him if he is really injured but I am not sure if he would make the team to be honest. Or, perhaps he would make the long list of 10 D-men thanks to the extension of rosters this year, but I am sceptical about him making the top 7 D actually dressed for the game. So the injury would be bad for him of course, but I don't think it would affect the team much.

Galvas has been one of the best defenders in past matches. He didn't have such a good match yesterday. But he has the potential to be a good player. I think it would be a shame if he was missing.

 

[JustSomeGuyCZ]

Galvas has broken hand, so he is out. Together witht Dominik Masin and Simon Stransky.

Projected lineup for tommorow match against Russia:

Hrubec
Will

Musil Hronek
Sulak Hajek
Klok/Sustr Vitásek
Sklenicka

H. Zohorna Kovar Blumel
Chytil Zohorna Zadina
Sekac Hanzl Radil
Smejkal Musil Flek
Cerveny

 

[Czechboy]

Together witht Dominik Masin

NOOOOOO!!!!

 

[Czechboy]

 

[Czechboy]

Smejkal Musil Flek
Cerveny

Bet you these guys are going to have a rough sleep. I'm guessing they are very close to chopping block and this is there last chance.

 

[BigBadBoar]

Galvas has been one of the best defenders in past matches. He didn't have such a good match yesterday. But he has the potential to be a good player. I think it would be a shame if he was missing.

I am still not sure about how a big loss in Galvas' injury. I did not like his game neither against Finland nor Sweden. Very good skater, good with the puck, but not very solid in the own zone and not very strong physically. Especially with Hronek and Hájek in the line-up, I think we've good three very good mobile and forward thinking D-men (Hronek, Hájek, Šulák), and we as well need some strong stay-at-home types of guys like Musil or Moravčík. I am looking forward to Klok, very interesting player.

 

[Czechboy]

forward thinking D-men (Hronek, Hájek, Šulák),

When you see the projected lineup from someczechguy they already are trying Musil with Hronek. I think that could be a brilliant pair. Give Hronek some room to move and exactly what Musil is built for (if he makes the team). I wonder if Frank Musil was paired with in Nagano? Probably Svoboda!

They have Sulak with Hajek.. I'm really not sure what Hajek is anymore. At the WJHC he had a tonne of points and looked like a elite offensive D. In the NHL he got 4 points and has 10 in 77 games which is output at about the David Musil level. D take longer and I assume he has more offence (just like Zboril) but haven't seen it yet. Maybe a good tournament to bust out of that slump!

I do think Galvas will crack NHL eventually. Near the end of that 2 year contract. Blackhawks have a nice Czech colony growing with Teply, Kubalik, Kampf, Krutil and Galvas. If the Jaskin rumour is true, the Coyotes seem to be dipping in Czech waters as well (Vejmelka, Jenik and Jasek).

 

[BigBadBoar]

I too think Galvas will make it in the NHL. He just needs a season, maybe two to gain confidence and improve his positioning in the own zone. He is definitely very talented, he just needs a year or two and will be much better than now.

 

[Goodman68]

NOOOOOO!!!!

I know he's your favorite player (I still don't know why), but I'll just write that I expected it. Either he or Šustr. It has to be better next time

 

[Czechboy]

I know he's your favorite player (I still don't know why), but I'll just write that I expected it. Either he or Šustr. It has to be better next time

Is Blumel next?lol

 

[joey16]

When you see the projected lineup from someczechguy they already are trying Musil with Hronek. I think that could be a brilliant pair. Give Hronek some room to move and exactly what Musil is built for (if he makes the team). I wonder if Frank Musil was paired with in Nagano? Probably Svoboda!

They have Sulak with Hajek.. I'm really not sure what Hajek is anymore. At the WJHC he had a tonne of points and looked like a elite offensive D. In the NHL he got 4 points and has 10 in 77 games which is output at about the David Musil level. D take longer and I assume he has more offence (just like Zboril) but haven't seen it yet. Maybe a good tournament to bust out of that slump!

I do think Galvas will crack NHL eventually. Near the end of that 2 year contract. Blackhawks have a nice Czech colony growing with Teply, Kubalik, Kampf, Krutil and Galvas. If the Jaskin rumour is true, the Coyotes seem to be dipping in Czech waters as well (Vejmelka, Jenik and Jasek).

I also don't know as I have not seen him in any NHL game so far but I almost never saw Rangers fans here say good thing about him, it's actually quite the opposite. Of course, cannot judge just based on this but it still tells you something (plus his stats aren't impressive either) so I'm actually kind of surprised that almost everyone here take him as a lock. I have a feeling that Galvas (too bad for the injury) or Masin would be better options. But hopefully I'm wrong. And I actually think Pesan likes him a lot because I remember he was terrific under him on WJC and also in the post game interview yesterday he praised him a lot.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I also don't know as I have not seen him in any NHL game so far but I almost never saw Rangers fans here say good thing about him, it's actually quite the opposite. Of course, cannot judge just based on this but it still tells you something (plus his stats aren't impressive either) so I'm actually kind of surprised that almost everyone here take him as a lock. I have a feeling that Galvas (too bad for the injury) or Masin would be better options. But hopefully I'm wrong. And I actually think Pesan likes him a lot because I remember he was terrific under him on WJC and also in the post game interview yesterday he praised him a lot.

Even his stint with Brno this year wasn't particularly impressive.

 

[Goodman68]

Is Blumel next?lol

I hope not, he wouldn't deserve it ..

 

[Goodman68]

I also don't know as I have not seen him in any NHL game so far but I almost never saw Rangers fans here say good thing about him, it's actually quite the opposite. Of course, cannot judge just based on this but it still tells you something (plus his stats aren't impressive either) so I'm actually kind of surprised that almost everyone here take him as a lock. I have a feeling that Galvas (too bad for the injury) or Masin would be better options. But hopefully I'm wrong. And I actually think Pesan likes him a lot because I remember he was terrific under him on WJC and also in the post game interview yesterday he praised him a lot.

It's true, Ranger fans mostly swear at him. At least some admit to him a solid game in the defensive zone.
He played solid yesterday and he certainly won a place in the expanded line-up.

 

[BigBadBoar]

I also don't know as I have not seen him in any NHL game so far but I almost never saw Rangers fans here say good thing about him, it's actually quite the opposite. Of course, cannot judge just based on this but it still tells you something (plus his stats aren't impressive either) so I'm actually kind of surprised that almost everyone here take him as a lock. I have a feeling that Galvas (too bad for the injury) or Masin would be better options. But hopefully I'm wrong. And I actually think Pesan likes him a lot because I remember he was terrific under him on WJC and also in the post game interview yesterday he praised him a lot.

Hájek is a solid D-man. I still think he is more offensive minded by his nature and in Rangers the coaches perhaps want him to stay at home a bit too much, but I have no doubt he deserves to be among the top 6 D-men here. Plus, Pešán apparently likes him a lot, it always helps a player having a coach with some trust in him. I would never mind what fans are saying at all, it is well known that each team has thousands of "coaches" and 90 % of them are saying nonsense upon nonsense.

 

[Czechboy]

I'd say part of the hajek hate us because he was part of a big trade and rangers fans expected him to be Makar. There is a theory that Czech hockey players take a little longer to develop and I think him and zboril will make big strides eventually. Might not be for rangers and bruins though. I can't see them not being solid NHL players at 28. Kaut gets a lot of hate too. Spacek didnt even crack the jets lineup.

 

[Czechboy]

Even his stint with Brno this year wasn't particularly impressive.

I don't have a good answer to this BUT when you saw Kometa with Hajek, Kral and Zboril.. Kral was the best of the 3. Fast forward to now and Zboril and Hajek played in the NHL full time (give or take) and Kral has 0pts in 6 games in the AHL.

No idea what happened there but my theory is that Zboril and Hajek weren't going 100% and Kral was... or maybe Kral is the best of the 3 and no one realizes it.

 

[BigBadBoar]

I don't have a good answer to this BUT when you saw Kometa with Hajek, Kral and Zboril.. Kral was the best of the 3. Fast forward to now and Zboril and Hajek played in the NHL full time (give or take) and Kral has 0pts in 6 games in the AHL.

No idea what happened there but my theory is that Zboril and Hajek weren't going 100% and Kral was... or maybe Kral is the best of the 3 and no one realizes it.

Hájek and Zbořil were just warming up for the shortened NHL season in Brno. You can't take this too seriously. I remember both 2004/2005 and 2013 lockouts. Some NHL players were looking like if they were average Extraliga guys, then came back to the NHL with the end of the lockout and were very good there. It was just about keeping their bodies ready with some game rhythm and at the same time not get injured in the Extraliga. The same this year.

 

[Maluk11]

4-0 for Czechs vs Russia. This team is really fun to watch. We are 100% in preliminary games. Zadina with another goal, Hrubec shutout also nice.

 

[BigBadBoar]

4-0 for Czechs vs Russia. This team is really fun to watch. We are 100% in preliminary games. Zadina with another goal, Hrubec shutout also nice.

This was all about goaltending and I wouldn't make too bold conclusions based on this game. Hrubec was absolutelly stellar in the net while the starting goalie for Russia, Fedotov, had really a bad day. The CZE - RUS game is going to be really tough next Friday.

 

[Maluk11]

Final roster

Jan Ščotka, Rudolf Červený and Hynek Zohorna cut.