My thoughts on Bukac….
Important tournament for him. Could go a long way to getting an NHL contract. Because he was drafted from the Dub, has to be signed by June 1. Czech's have a decent team. He'll play a key shut down role.
Skating: Long, powerful stride. Moves well for a guy that's 6'6". Very good edge work. Can turn tight and quick. Not as quick as 6'5" Brandon Carlo.
Size: When drafted, he was a lanky 6'4" and just 175 pounds. He's grown to 6'6" since then and added some 35 pounds of mass. Still needs to add some bulk as he still looks lanky for his size. If he can do that without effecting his skating, he'll be okay.
Character: There was some quiet "noise" when Brandon dropped him. The fact is, the Wheat Kings were in a position where they didn't have much choice. CHL teams are only allowed two imports and they had two picks in the CHL Import draft where they could nab two players they really wanted/needed and they had to release Bukac.
Skills: Puck handling skill are very good. Can evade the forecheck or make a good first pass out of the zone. I just don't feel he processes the game quick enough. He's shown at times that he can, but not consistently. Funny thing is, that when he gets top minutes, he has shown to be better. It just might be a confidence issue with him. But when he's playing lesser minutes/role, he sometimes handles the puck like a grenade. I think in that capacity he tries too hard to impress his coaches.
He has a very good shot, hard, accurate and with purpose. Just doesn't use it enough. He has at times QB'd the PP. Walks the line extremely well, finds his teammates - again, has to learn to use his shot more in certain situations. From time to time, backs bad pinches, but he recovers well.
In the d-zone, he's shown he enjoys the physical game. Combined with his long reach and very active stick, he keeps opponents to the outside more often then not. Has some difficulty in getting himself into position without the puck - too often out of position.
Bukac was always going to be a project and was going to take some time. If he puts it all together, he can play in the NHL. His coaches in Brandon and Niagara often spoke of his raw potential.
Decision time is fast approaching for the Bruins. They'll have to decide whether they feel he can reach his potential and sign him, or not. The WJC could go a long way towards that decision.
