Radek Smolenak?

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Cerebral

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Hey, does anyone have any thoughts on Kingston Frontenacs winger Radek Smolenak? He had a very good rookie season managing to put up 32 goals and he has great size at 6'3. It seems like he has the makings of a quality prospect but I don't see him listed in the first round on many mock drafts. Does he look like the type of player that the Edmonton Oilers might be able to nab at 25?
 

BuppY

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Cerebral said:
Hey, does anyone have any thoughts on Kingston Frontenacs winger Radek Smolenak? He had a very good rookie season managing to put up 32 goals and he has great size at 6'3. It seems like he has the makings of a quality prospect but I don't see him listed in the first round on many mock drafts. Does he look like the type of player that the Edmonton Oilers might be able to nab at 25?

I can see him sneak up in the first round to a Team like Toronto or Boston or Edmonton. It wouldn't suprise me at all if he was drafted in the first round. I think he'll end up going in the first round, but he won't make it past 2nd round. The problem with him is he's inconsistent, he'll be great one game and next game he'll be a floater. If he can put it all together and play hard everynight, he'll be a great player for many years.
 
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Brock

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BuppY said:
I can see him sneak up in the first round to a Team like Toronto or Boston or Edmonton. It wouldn't suprise me at all if he was drafted in the first round. I think he'll end up going in the first round, but he won't make it past 2nd round. The problem with him is he's inconsistent, he'll be great one game and next game he'll be a floater. If he can put it all together and play hard everynight, he'll be a great player for many years.

Well inconsistency is only the beginning. A lot of people believe his game won't translate incredibly well to the NHL. He's not a great skater and at this time he's a relatively perimeter player who relies on stickhandling to create offense. The question at hand is, can a perimeter scorer who isn't incredibly quick excel at the NHL level. The tendency is that a lot of these types of prospects tend to fall in the draft because their success rates aren't great.

I do like Smolenak though. I've always been impressed by his hands and the affermentioned puck skills. It's true, he's not a great skater, but skating today can be improved. As can a willingness to become less of a perimeter player. At worst he might be a Pierre Dagenais type of player. I wouldn't touch him in the first round, but I would give him a long look in the second.
 

Cerebral

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Brock said:
Well inconsistency is only the beginning. A lot of people believe his game won't translate incredibly well to the NHL. He's not a great skater and at this time he's a relatively perimeter player who relies on stickhandling to create offense. The question at hand is, can a perimeter scorer who isn't incredibly quick excel at the NHL level. The tendency is that a lot of these types of prospects tend to fall in the draft because their success rates aren't great.

I do like Smolenak though. I've always been impressed by his hands and the affermentioned puck skills. It's true, he's not a great skater, but skating today can be improved. As can a willingness to become less of a perimeter player. At worst he might be a Pierre Dagenais type of player. I wouldn't touch him in the first round, but I would give him a long look in the second.
Interesting... it sounds like he may have been somewhat overhyped by this link:

http://tsf.waymoresports.thestar.com/thestar/hockey/extras.cgi?2005-draft-prospect-profiles

It mentions there that he "has already started throwing his body around with the Frontenacs" and that he "skates very well for a player his size". However, numerous people have mentioned his skating as fairly weak and have also described him as a perimeter player.

Alas, he seemed like a dream pick for the Oilers at 25 (Edmonton really needs some goal scoring prospects on the wings) but it might be better to try and grab him in the 2nd round.
 

GlueleG

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BuppY said:
I can see him sneak up in the first round to a Team like Toronto or Boston or Edmonton. It wouldn't suprise me at all if he was drafted in the first round. I think he'll end up going in the first round,

Im starting to get the impression that you think he could go in the first round ... ;)
 

Rusty Shackleford

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I saw him play with the Fronts this year he's a good player and was red-hot in the second half and was probaly the Fronts best player last year.

He should be a late first-rounder or early second-rounder.
 

Hiishawk

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Repeat from elsewhere-
Smolenak is NOT a perimeter player who avoids checks. If anything he has drive-to-the-net-through-anybody tunnel vision and gets banged up tremendously trying to drive right into the goalie's doorstep. It actually might be better if he played the perimeter more because that might mean he'd use his linemates a bit better and save himself from getting plastered every second shift.
 

Brock

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steblick said:
Repeat from elsewhere-
Smolenak is NOT a perimeter player who avoids checks. If anything he has drive-to-the-net-through-anybody tunnel vision and gets banged up tremendously trying to drive right into the goalie's doorstep. It actually might be better if he played the perimeter more because that might mean he'd use his linemates a bit better and save himself from getting plastered every second shift.

The times I saw him this year, I didn't see any of that from him. I saw him in the prospects game and a couple Kingston games. While he can take a check, I don't ever remember seing him crashing the net or anything close to it. He appeared to be a outside in type of forward. He just seemed to have what I'd call the "Wojtech Wolski disease" in which one shift you see him and the next you dont, whether that's to do with being a perimeter player, or a bit lazy, who knows.

But I definitely don't ever remember seing him crash the net.
 

Hiishawk

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Brock said:
The times I saw him this year, I didn't see any of that from him. I saw him in the prospects game and a couple Kingston games. While he can take a check, I don't ever remember seing him crashing the net or anything close to it. He appeared to be a outside in type of forward. He just seemed to have what I'd call the "Wojtech Wolski disease" in which one shift you see him and the next you dont, whether that's to do with being a perimeter player, or a bit lazy, who knows.

But I definitely don't ever remember seing him crash the net.

Hmmm. I respect your opinion. Perhaps we saw him in very different games. I saw him play 4 home games in Kingston in 2, 2-game sets. I also saw the Prospects Game- which is a different animal altogether.
 

Brock

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steblick said:
Hmmm. I respect your opinion. Perhaps we saw him in very different games. I saw him play 4 home games in Kingston in 2, 2-game sets. I also saw the Prospects Game- which is a different animal altogether.

Yeah definitely. Must be why he's drawn this inconsistent tag. Some games he turns up the intensity and others he's content to be less of a factor.

And you sir are correct, the prospects game is definitely a different animal altogether, although I thought Smolenak did have a very solid showing! :)
 

Cerebral

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Well, he sounds like a player that the Oilers should at least take a long look at with their picks at 25 and 36. I'd be pretty happy if the Oilers can grab someone decent at 25 and snag Smolenak with pick 36...
 

ktownhockey

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Ive seen Smolanek play numerous times and here's a little log of what I thought of him.

First two games: I barely noticed him expect for his average skating.. I think he was getting used to the NA game.

games after Christmas: He was a man possesed. Deking people out scoring nice goals and looking like an OHL 50 man (which I think he could be if he stays the next year or two)

If im the Oilers GM I have to look at my needs. Which in my opinion is a little bit of everything. I think he would be a great choice at 25 but if you think he can drop down to 36 you should take that risk.

I think he's going to do nothing but improve. He really came along this year. He'll more than likely be on the same line next year with the Fronts number one pick in the OHL draft Luke Pither and they should put up some good numbers together.

He will go anywhere from 23-37 lol
 
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