Eurolanche: Avalanche wants pick Pavel Zacha at '15 Draft

[EurolancheDavid]

There is a big chance you will be drafted in top 10 this year. Did you see a list of your potential further teams? Do you have some favorite amongst them?

I checked teams that will pick players between 5th and 12th place. There are teams I would like to play for. It doesn't matter at which place they will pick me of. There are some super teams like for example New Jersey, Philadelphia, Colorado or San Jose. Great cities, great organizations. It is hard to choose something concrete. I would be happy, if some of these teams picked me.

Are you ready to play in the NHL in your first year?

I was working hard for this for 18 years. It is of course very hard. We will see at the camp if I can make it. I can't say it right now, because I have never been at the NHL camp before. Of course I want to show them I can do that. Hopefully I will be able to be there this first year.

Have you talked with somebody of the Colorado Avalanche organization yet?

Not directly. They talked about me with my agent and he told me they had big interest in me. They haven't come to meet me yet, because we will see each other at NHL combine. I should have some dinner there with them. My agent told me they were talking a lot about me.

Full interview and player profile >>> http://eurolanche.com/article.php?id=6374 <<<

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[BaconNater]

Great interview! Always like hearing what future prospects have to say about the draft. Also love the Stastny mention.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Thanks for this, love the tidbit. I'm sure they have interest in several players but having dinner with Zacha is intriguing. They can't do that with everyone.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

He fits the profile of what Roy wants, certainly, and he's a home run pick.

Great work again, Eurolanche. You guys are really providing Avs fans with all the news so far this summer since our beat writer is useless.

 

[cgf]

Thanks for this, love the tidbit. I'm sure they have interest in several players but having dinner with Zacha is intriguing. They can't do that with everyone.

Makes sense though. Zacha is the most high risk pick at the top of this draft, getting a feel for his personality and mindset is thus more important than confirming the McDavid is a robot that was made in the same factory as Crosby.

 

[returnofthemack29]

He mentioned watching the Avs as a kid when Hejduk was scoring all those goals. I think Hejduk can give the Avs some more inside info on Zacha from the Czech side.

 

[RockLobster]

What concerns me (a lot, but not the most) about Zacha is his dad. The Avs, in doing their due diligence, will have to find out if his dad will be problematic or not.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

What concerns me (a lot, but not the most) about Zacha is his dad. The Avs, in doing their due diligence, will have to find out if his dad will be problematic or not.

The sure did that with O'Reilly.

 

[RockLobster]

The sure did that with O'Reilly.

I don't personally see Brian O'Reilly as being a "problematic dad". He's always come across (to me) as someone who's passionate about what his sons do because he loves his children. He wants them to succeed in all facets of life.

Just because he raised his children to never shortchange themselves professionally doesn't mean he's problematic. Hell, until that interview with Dater (that was subsequently turned into a blog post), not many people paid attention to him.

Maybe Zacha's dad is the same way--I don't know much about him to have a validated opinion though.

 

[Freudian]

I would expect Avs to meet for dinner with all possible players they might select at 10.

 

[returnofthemack29]

I don't personally see Brian O'Reilly as being a "problematic dad". He's always come across (to me) as someone who's passionate about what his sons do because he loves his children. He wants them to succeed in all facets of life.

Just because he raised his children to never shortchange themselves professionally doesn't mean he's problematic. Hell, until that interview with Dater (that was subsequently turned into a blog post), not many people paid attention to him.

Maybe Zacha's dad is the same way--I don't know much about him to have a validated opinion though.

That's where having someone like Hejduk as a source comes in handy for the Avs.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I don't personally see Brian O'Reilly as being a "problematic dad". He's always come across (to me) as someone who's passionate about what his sons do because he loves his children. He wants them to succeed in all facets of life.

Just because he raised his children to never shortchange themselves professionally doesn't mean he's problematic. Hell, until that interview with Dater (that was subsequently turned into a blog post), not many people paid attention to him.

Maybe Zacha's dad is the same way--I don't know much about him to have a validated opinion though.

So, why did you bring up that there might be a problem with his dad? what's the back story here? What am I missing?

 

[RockLobster]

So, why did you bring up that there might be a problem with his dad? what's the back story here? What am I missing?

There's been some "scuttle" every now and again that his dad might be an extremely involved "hockey dad". No idea how true it is, or if it's just a parent who's trying to give his son every opportunity to realize their talent, but I've heard/read that about Zacha's dad.

 

[henchman21]

Zacha's dad is a bit... intense. Pavel was raised to be one thing, and one thing only... a hockey player. Sometimes that can burn a kid out, and you worry about how much influence a parent like that has over a kid's career.

 

[AvsFan2123]

What's a good comparison to Zacha's game? I've been saying they should look elsewhere because of the risk involved with him and haven't really read up on him.

 

[theoptimist]

Third most dynamic center behind McEichel. Any team would benefit mightily with him.

 

[henchman21]

What's a good comparison to Zacha's game? I've been saying they should look elsewhere because of the risk involved with him and haven't really read up on him.

He is really a rather unique player. I can't think of somebody who plays such a skill oriented game, but really enjoys and relishes the physical side of the game. A much more skilled Wayne Simmonds maybe... Eric Staal in his early days... Corey Perry a little bit. I can't think of a comparison that I would really like.

IIRC Quebec was really courting him last summer and wanted him at the #2 pick, I think Roy was involved in that... so there is history there as well.

 

[cgf]

I kinda like a playmaking corey perry now that you mentioned him, or a ridiculously wealthy and sane man's downie...but at center?

 

[AslanRH]

He was 3rd on my list of most intriguing players/options early on (Provorov and Rantanen) so I guess I may have to get a little excited about this news.

 

[dahrougem2]

I've wanted Zacha for a long time now. I think that, outside of the obvious top-2 of McDavid and Eichel, he has the highest ceiling.

 

[trip trancid]

Do the Avs not look into other players by talking to their agents?

 

[Foppa2118]

Had a feeling they might be more interested in Zacha than some thought. Meier is the other. Both have a certain approach to the game that can blossom with the right development, to go along with being big bodies that play physical. .

 

[Jayevs]

Zacha is the player I want at 10, he reminds me of Voracek in a lot of ways but he's obviously in an other realm physically, almost like a Jamie Benn/Voracek hybrid

 

[AnimalMother73]

Zacha's dad is a bit... intense. Pavel was raised to be one thing, and one thing only... a hockey player. Sometimes that can burn a kid out, and you worry about how much influence a parent like that has over a kid's career.

It reminds me of Todd Marinovich's Father situation....hopefully he doesn't end up the same way.

 

[AvsGuy]

The more I analyze the top picks available, the more I think that by pick #10, our top available players will be Pavel Zacha, Zach Werenski and Timo Meier and I think we pick Pavel Zacha.