Radim Mrtka, 6'6" RHD drafted 9th overall by Sabres

[LGR4GM]

17 minutes ago, Mr Peabody said:

Loved his “I bring my heart” answer.  Even though he’s 4 years away if he has a solid development track it does allow us to trade RHDs in the system ahead of him. 

There's a good chance he destroys the WHL this season and makes everything look good. His 35pts in 43 games is good for 55pts in a full 68 game season. Really curious to see how he improves after dragging that Seattle team to relevance and logging Dahlin level minutes. 

Give him a couple more years in the WHL and then some ncaa or AHL time. If he gets stronger and adds more physical play, he's got tons of upside. Now go draft some forwards.

[CallawaySabres]

My God it is depressing to watch this organization. This kid looks like he already wants to be traded. I guess you can’t blame him.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

My God it is depressing to watch this organization. This kid looks like he already wants to be traded. I guess you can’t blame him.

Can we stop this? He's 18, he's in a foreign country speaking a dif language and half this thread is about him not smiling enough? Y'all sounds like a creepy redneck telling the waffle house waitress to smile more. 

[FrenchConnection44]

ESPN’s pre-draft take:

12. Radim Mrtka, D, Seattle (WHL)

A 6-6, right-handed defenseman with decent mobility who plays in all situations has scouts very excited, and he could be the second defenseman drafted on Friday. He's very difficult to get around, routinely thwarting attackers in their tracks and killing plays. He projects as a top-four, shutdown defenseman because of his excellent stick work, mobility and transition defense. Mrtka uses his mobility to escape pressure, activate in the rush and make quality passes to the middle of the ice.

Mrtka should develop into a strong transition defender, a reliable penalty killer and efficient puck mover. He shoots the puck hard and could become more of a scoring threat if he can pick his spots to get pucks through. While everything flowed through him in Seattle, there are well-placed concerns about his lack of offense.

His size and physicality give him the tools to develop into a minute-munching, shutdown defender if his mobility continues to progress. His late birthday gives him lots of development runway to refine his skating, offensive playmaking, and physicality in all areas of the ice.

[JP51]

10 hours ago, Carmel Corn said:

I was hoping Mrtka might play more angry than Krupp…oh well!

You can tell i am jaded after all of these years reality is kids 18 let's see he does have size you can't teach but all to often we get these size players like we have mentioned and they are just not the nasty aggressive hard to play against type we want. This kid isn't coming out with a narrative that says that. So I assume the worst but I need to back off on the assumption and wait for it to play out... bottom line is I am not colored inspired with this pick and am more concerned with the direction of the FO in making it... like do they see we need more ass$*les ? Time will tell

[FrenchConnection44]

The best hope for these young draft picks is for the team to be able to see some success in getting to the playoffs the next couple of years and getting a series win or two. That will create additional energy and drive in them to improve and move up to the NHL with the Sabres. 
 

still need a goalie or two and still need to add another player / forward with real quality. 

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, JP51 said:

You can tell i am jaded after all of these years reality is kids 18 let's see he does have size you can't teach but all to often we get these size players like we have mentioned and they are just not the nasty aggressive hard to play against type we want. This kid isn't coming out with a narrative that says that. So I assume the worst but I need to back off on the assumption and wait for it to play out... bottom line is I am not colored inspired with this pick and am more concerned with the direction of the FO in making it... like do they see we need more ass$*les ? Time will tell

Mrtka needs to add more physicality but he's already got more than Power. He also seems far more aware of that element than Power even is today. 

[PromoTheRobot]

7 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Some are more ready than others. 

But none are ready now.

[PromoTheRobot]

23 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

My God it is depressing to watch this organization. This kid looks like he already wants to be traded. I guess you can’t blame him.

My goodness, what a joke this is turning into. A worn out lazy joke.

[That Aud Smell]

12 hours ago, Turbo44 said:

What’s wrong with Forton, he about the only non f@ck up in the organization? His picks have been mostly solid

Bro.

36 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Can we stop this? He's 18, he's in a foreign country speaking a dif language and half this thread is about him not smiling enough? Y'all sounds like a creepy redneck telling the waffle house waitress to smile more. 

the resting b1tch face stuff is beyond tired. my group chats are filled with it. lame.

[Rasmus_]

Mrtka was fine in a vacuum, I just really wanted Bear or Eklund personally.  

[JP51]

41 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Mrtka needs to add more physicality but he's already got more than Power. He also seems far more aware of that element than Power even is today. 

This gives us hope for sure he may not be Chara or Pronger but more that Myers or Power is something let's see how he develops or how we develop him. He may find in order to be a great NHLer he needs to use his size maybe he will to be continued for sure

[SwampD]

44 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

My goodness, what a joke this is turning into. A worn out lazy joke.

In a week where we just lost one of our "develop from within" guys, it’s not a joke. It’s what happens.

Enjoy Quinn while you can. You got two years before he will get paid by someone else.

Edited 4 hours ago by SwampD

[DarthEbriate]

Just posting this here.

6'5" 223# RHD EP quick writeup: A large defenseman with good leadership skills. Has a great shot. Gives a good opening pass and works hard in all three zones. A good skater considering his size. Could improve his physicality.

Taken #3 overall in 2010

Edit: for fun, traded 5 times so far.

Edited 4 hours ago by DarthEbriate

[dudacek]

Athletic has a feature up:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6296992/2025/04/24/radim-mrtka-2025-nhl-draft-prospect/

There may be more upside than I initially thought. The physical tools are rare, the development curve early and his coaches are leaning on him.

On Wednesday, when Czechia opened the U18 worlds against the host Americans at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, Mrtka was their No. 1 defenseman there, too.

On his first shift of the second period, he went end-to-end to score and tie the game 1-1.

Throughout, multiple scouts in attendance commented on how much bigger, faster and stronger he was than his peers. By game’s end, he’d led both teams in time on ice, logging 24:10 in a 4-2 loss where the Czechs led the Americans into the final minutes.

“He’s big, he’s physical, he’s a two-way D who can handle the puck, he’s got speed and he’s very good defensively,” said Czech assistant coach Jaroslav Nedved, the team’s D coach, postgame. “He’s got a long stick, he plays between the dots, he’s good in corners and he’s our top D. (And) his skating helps him a lot because if you’re tall and you’re heavy and you’re not a good skater, you’re not going to be good in transition up and down. He is, and it’s a big advantage. For his size, he’s a great skater

[LGR4GM]

21 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Just posting this here.

6'5" 223# RHD EP quick writeup: A large defenseman with good leadership skills. Has a great shot. Gives a good opening pass and works hard in all three zones. A good skater considering his size. Could improve his physicality.

Taken #3 overall in 2010

Edit: for fun, traded 5 times so far.

A lot of red flags in Gudbranson's production before he was drafted. He was in his 2nd ohl year and while he played 20 fewer games, he only got 1 more point in year two. Had 0.56ppg his draft year compared to 0.74ppg with Mrtka. So Gudbranson was 6 months older, in year 2 of the OHL and produced less pts per game than Mrtka.

[PromoTheRobot]

37 minutes ago, SwampD said:

In a week where we just lost one of our "develop from within" guys, it’s not a joke. It’s what happens.

Enjoy Quinn while you can. You got two years before he will get paid by someone else.

When a team has a culture of losing, who has the power to change it? Players who look elsewhere for the answer are part of the problem.

[oddoublee]

Candidly, I've never seen him play outside of the highlights after we drafted him.

From what I'm reading regarding his scouting reports - we should all be excited to watch him develop over the next 4 years. 

A large RHD with two way game? Sign me up. 

[SwampD]

8 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

When a team has a culture of losing, who has the power to change it? Players who look elsewhere for the answer are part of the problem.

K

[LGR4GM]

post first round press conference

 

[shrader]

Raw physical specimens drafted out of that war room… I sure would love to see a similar growth trajectory

[ponokasabre]

I truly think worse case we got Tyler Myers, best case we got Zdeno Chara

[Flashsabre]

40 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Just posting this here.

6'5" 223# RHD EP quick writeup: A large defenseman with good leadership skills. Has a great shot. Gives a good opening pass and works hard in all three zones. A good skater considering his size. Could improve his physicality.

Taken #3 overall in 2010

Edit: for fun, traded 5 times so far.

This is peak trolling BS. Let’s go back 15 years to find a tall dman who didn’t turn out and post it like it is some comparison in any way, shape or form.

”Don’t draft Mario Lemieux because Jason Bongsinire was a tall RHC that didn’t turn out.”🤣. Some people really need to just go take a walk and get some fresh air.

[Turbo44]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Can we stop this? He's 18, he's in a foreign country speaking a dif language and half this thread is about him not smiling enough? Y'all sounds like a creepy redneck telling the waffle house waitress to smile more. 

If anybody watched his zoom call he was smiling the whole time. This organization is ridiculously inept BUT don’t make sh1t up

[nfreeman]

Whoa.  This isn't just "good skater for a tall guy."