#49 overall - Vaclav Karabacek

[LGR4GM]

Karabacek - RW, 6' 190lbs

 

http://lastwordonspo...clav-karabacek/

Karabacek’s offensive game is based around his tenacity. He digs pucks out of the corners for his linemates, and works hard to continue the cycle game down low. He makes short quick passes to teamates, and almost always takes the safe option over those that are riskier, but more creative. The stickhandling is decent, but it is more about puck protection on the cycle than it is about making the type of creative moves to beat a defender one-on-one. Without the puck, he has the ability to find open spaces on the ice, and to evade defenders. From there he is able to unleash a good one-timer, or a very powerful wrist shot, with an excellent release. The shot is the best part of his offensive game and is among the better shots in this draft class.

Edited June 28, 2014 by LGR4GM

[26CornerBlitz]

Black Book

 

Karabáček was the 18th overall pick in last year’s CHL Import Draft. The Czech forward played one season in Austria with the EC Red Bull Salzburg before joining the Olympiques. In his first season in the QMJHL, the Prague native was able to make a considerable impact with his team and also played for his country at the recent U-18 World Championships in Finland. Karabáček finished the season with 21 goals and 47 points, also finding a lot of success in the first round of the playoffs against Cape-Breton with 12 points in 9 games.

 

He’s a strong skater with great explosion and bursts of speed, which makes him tough to handle off the rush and he’s dangerous when he tries to beat defensemen wide. He has great top speed that he can reach quickly. We saw great amounts of improvement with his skating since the beginning of the year. Overall, his agility is decent, but he’s more of a North-South skater than East-West.

 

Karabáček is a very streaky player. When he’s on, he can be dominant, using his speed and quick release on his wrist shot, getting his nose dirty as well in front of the net. When his game is off, you don’t see a lot out of him, he can be invisible on the ice, lacks involvement and plays a soft game. Likes his puck protection along the wall and has a good reach; this helps him to shield defenders away and he’s effective cycling the puck with his line. He’s good at finding space in the offensive zone to get open or make room for himself. Without the puck, Karabáček won’t put his team in trouble. He’s smart and gets involved in the defensive zone.

 

ISS

 

Karabacek took some time to adjust to the NA game, but he got better with every viewing. This is shown in his point totals in the regular season vs his play-off performance. In comparision to his regular season numbers below, he had 6 goals and 6 assist in just 9 games. What jumps out first about Karabaceks game is his ability to find open ice in the offensive zone and intriguing offensive skill-set. The biggest inprovement in his game was his willingness to compete for loose pucks and his battle level which was non-existent in the first part of the year. That said, there is still work he needs to do to improve his 200 foot game and physical play. Consistency needs attention, a little more urgency to his game.

 

McKeen's

 

Marked a steady progression this year acclimatizing to North American play culminating in a highly productive postseason (was a stand-out against Halifax in the second round) before joining Team Czech and helping them capture a silver medal at the World U18 Championships .. modest in size (6’0, 195) he is an extremely powerful player whose strength is showcased in loose puck battles .. aggressively engages along the boards and makes solid offensive plays after winning the puck .. agile in his turns deploying better than average balance - his straight ahead speed lacks explosiveness and does not win enough loose puck races .. puck control is among the league’s best as he constantly has his head up to survey options .. passes are generally kept short, electing for the safe percentage play .. does an excellent job of sneaking into open areas to utilize his most potent weapon - a quick wrist shot which he can fire with little to no warning ..his defensive game is still a work in progress but he made strides throughout the year .. could surprise at the NHL level with his offensive contributions if upgrades to his skating and consistency come along.

 

FC

 

SCOUTING REPORT: Karabacek is an above-average skater with good acceleration. He has quick feet and always keeps them moves. Is pretty solid on his skates, and is hard to push off the puck. He protects the puck really well and works hard to get that puck back if he gets it stripped. He has good vision with good playmaking skills, and can move the puck quickly on the cycle, down low or along the half wall on the power play. He is also solid at making touch passes, give and goes and soft saucer passes as he enters the zone. He will elevate his play in important games and when he does, he’s dominant; tiring for his opponent to play against. He’s pretty physical, finishes his checks and isn’t scared of taking a hit to make a play. His compete level is off the charts one game and then inconsistent the next. His progression was constant all season long, and his confidence level is night and day from the beginning of the season. He has a pretty good wrist shot with a good release. But he needs to use it more often to become even more effective. He supports his teammates well in the offensive zone and will cover for his defensemen in some instances too. Really brought his game up a level during the Q playoffs and leading into the U18s.

[Huckleberry]

Seems a bit like a gamble but that is what late 2nd round picks are for.

[dudacek]

Interesting reports. We took flier on guy who showed a lot of growth.