2023 World Junior Championship Preview: Team Slovakia
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2022 will go down as one of the greatest years in Slovak ice hockey history – if not the best.
First, it was the unlikely bronze at the Winter Olympics, the first in team history. Then, three players were selected in the first round of the NHL Draft – including the top two picks – to further show that the nation is trending in the right direction when it comes to developing quality prospects.
Juraj Slafkovsky, taken first overall by the Montreal Canadiens, isn’t expected to join Slovakia after starting to finally find his way in the middle of the lineup. They’ll still have the second pick, New Jersey’s Simon Nemec, as well as Filip Mesar, taken later in the first round by the Canadiens as well, so they’ll be well-represented.
This is also a notable year because of the influx of talent from the group that won silver at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The U-18 event kicks the year off and they nearly went all the way with the likes of Slafkovsky, Nemec, and Mesar leading the way. But they also had some big-time 2023 draft prospects as well, such as Dalibor Dvorsky and Alex Ciernik – both of whom should play big roles in Moncton.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from Slovakia in Group B play in Eastern Canada when the action begins next week:
Goaltenders
With no losses in regulation with the USHL’s Fargo Force this season, look for Matej Marinov to get the starting spot right off the bat. The 19-year-old has some experience with Slovakia’s national team, but never with the U-20 team, and never at a major event. Still, he’s been excellent in one of North America’s top junior leagues, and he has established himself as a game-changer with Fargo. Slovakia will need that same energy in Moncton.
There’s also 18-year-old Jan Korec, a Boston College commit. His USHL season has been a bit more difficult as a backup with Des Moines, but his play in American prep last year earned him some attention from scouts. He also hasn’t played in any meaningful international games with Slovakia, but he’s rarely the reason why his team loses, either.
If the Slovaks would rather focus on homegrown talent, Patrik Andrisik was Slovakia’s third goalie at last year’s event and currently plays in the second-tier Czech league. He had an impressive outing against Czechia in a summer exhibition game and faces a ton of shots with HK Brenzo, too.
Goaltending won’t be a strength this year, but like other teams near the bottom, there’s an opportunity available. All three are undrafted, and while a good week or two isn’t going to do much to change that, this is the best showcase opportunity available.
Defensemen
Secretly, the Slovaks had to be cheering for Simon Nemec to miss out on making New Jersey this year – and they got their wish. The second overall pick in 2022 is set to man the blueline after putting up 12 points in 24 games as an outstanding AHL rookie with the Utica Comets. Nemec isn’t your average prospect: he was a standout as a double undrafted underager in 2021, has two World Championship tournament appearances under his belt, and not only helped Slovakia make the 2022 Olympics but played a sizeable role en route to the nation’s first Olympic bronze in men’s ice hockey. Nemec is one of the best defensemen to come out of Slovakia in some time. With the Devils continuing to trend upward, he might not have many opportunities to represent them internationally in the future.
Joining him will be Viliam Kmec, who played on Slovakia’s top pairing during the summer tournament. He doesn’t produce a ton of offense, but he loves to use the full extent of his 6-foot-3 frame and opponents don’t fare well with him in front of the net. He went undrafted in 2022, and his lack of offensive output doesn’t help him, but he can be the more grounded option beside a more offensively inclined partner.
Dávid Nátny and Maxim Strbak were paired together in the summer, and likely will be in Moncton, as well. Nátny impressed with the Slovakian U-18 team that won silver at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and he’s been playing agianst men already for parts of three years. This year, he’s been a full-timer with Presov in the top Slovak league, playing all throughout the blueline. For Strbak, there will be more on him later.
Simon Groch is another returning player, having worn an “A” as alternate captain last summer. The big, 6-foot-3 defender has done well production-wise in the Czech U-20 league, but his value will be in just laying guys out. There’s also Marian Mosko, a Cornell University commit, who isn’t afraid to mix it up, either.
Forwards
With Slafkovsky staying in Montreal, the Slovaks are definitely missing a key piece up front. But with his good buddy and fellow Habs prospect Filip Mesar leading the charge, the Slovaks can’t be discounted. After an impressive camp and eventual short stint with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, Mesar has ripped apart the OHL with Kitchener and is ready to exploit his talents on Slovakia’s top line. Speedy and skilled, Mesar has the makings of an NHL goal-scorer one day, and his work-ethic will help him get there.
The Slovaks will also have a trio of other drafted prospects in Servac Petrovsky (Minnesota), Adam Sykora (New York Rangers) and Adam Zlnka (Arizona). Petrovsky went from a quiet sixth-round pick in 2022 to a vital shooter for his country, and he’s been a standout at every event with his country. He’s having a good sophomore effort with Owen Sound, and while he’s not a high-profile prospect, he leaves opponents guessing away from the puck and uses that to his advantage.
Sykora had just an assist in four games with Slovakia and was given a one-game suspension for kneeing, but his performance in the first three games were notable. He generated chances for his teammates, showed flashes of eye-popping skill and seemed to handle any matchup fine. He even got a taste of men’s action with a decent showing at the World Championship a few months prior, which probably helped his confidence.
Zlnka has never represented Slovakia at an IIHF event, but he’s been through the ranks internationally at other events and was especially good at the U-16 level in 2019-20. Now in his second year in the USHL, the Northeastern Unviersity commit should play a vital role up front.
A trio of 2023 NHL Draft prospects will be leaned on heavily – Dalibor Dvorsky, Alex Ciernik and Samuel Honzek, but more on them later. Peter Repcik didn’t have much of a role with the summer team, and his QMJHL results have been mixed this season, but his experience on the smaller North American ice should come in handy. The same goes for Robert Baco, who’ll be more of an intimidating presence.
It’s worth noting that Ondrej Molnár – one of the country’s top prospects for the 2023 draft – did not join Slovakia at camp after an altercation in a floorball game back home. He has since joined the OHL’s Erie Otters and will not participate, which is a notable loss for the Slovaks.
NHL Draft watch
The Slovaks have been one to watch in the draft department for a few years now, and this year’s class is no different. Dvorsky is projected to go in the top 10 , but will need a much better showing than the one he had at the summer tournament. Nobody was as dominant in U-18 junior team action than Dvorsky in 2021-22 thanks to his tremendous release. The biggest knock against him is he can be pedestrian at points, following the play instead of being the play-driver. This would be a great time to help change the narrative.
Ciernik was Dvorsky’s setup man at the 2021 Hlinka and he was unstoppable at the 2022 Division IA U-18s. He’s had a solid taste of pro hockey with Sodertalje over the past two seasons which should set him up nicely playing against teenagers again Ciernik is a great skater, can deceive opponents when setting up a pass and has consistently improved his play away from the puck, too. There’s a good chance he’s taken in the first round at this point.
Honzek, a big 6-foot-3 forward, is trending towards the top 40 for 2023. He has the obvious size advantage over most kids his age, but he’s also lighting up the WHL with 43 points in 31 games – putting him on a 91-point pace. He has a good framework to build upon on his international resume, and he should be a nice middle-six scoring option for the Slovaks.
And then there’s Strbak, whose play was underrated last summer. Despite his age, I fully expect the mid-sized, strong-skating defenseman to play heavy minutes on a blueline that’s his for the taking. He’s set for Michigan State next year, and has a chance to push himself into first-round conversation with a good showing in Moncton.
Projection
Even though Slovakia won’t be at full strength, they have easily one of the more intriguing lineups in the tournament thanks to an impressive array of NHL Draft prospects. They’ll lean heavily on their youngsters to play big roles, and, like other smaller teams, opportunities are abound. The Slovaks should be able to handle Latvia and they have the edge over Switzerland, so a third place spot in Group B seems safe. That would likely mean a meeting against Canada or Finland, which, ovviously, isn’t ideal. It’s unlikely they’ll make it out of the quarterfinal, but they’re going to be sneaky good.
Schedule
Dec. 27 vs. Finland – 11:00 AM ET
Dec. 28 vs. USA – 4:00 PM ET
Dec. 30 vs. Latvia – 11:00 AM ET
Dec. 31 vs. Switzerland – 11:00 AM ET