SAMUEL HONZEK

Left Wing
6’3/181
Left
Vancouver Giants/WHL

Samul Honzek is a large winger who moves well for his size and competes well enough to get to the interior of the offensive zones. Honzek has been one of the most productive draft-eligible players in the WHL this season, trailing only Connor Bedard and Andrew Cristall in scoring nearly halfway through the season. Prior to joining the Vancouver Giants for his draft year, Honzek also gained valuable experience in Slovakia’s top professional league, netting 10 goals and four assists in 49 games during his age-17 season. His pure skill may not dazzle you, but he has good enough hands and vision to make plays at the next level and provide offense. Honzek still needs to solidify his play away from the puck but has potential as a middle-six winger at the NHL level and could be a late 1st round pick.

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Size/Strength Great
Skating Good
Shot/Scoring Good
Puckhandling Good
Physical Play Average
Offensive Play Great
Defensive Play Average
Hockey Sense Good
Competitiveness Good

Strengths

1. Honzek is a rangy forward with quality puck skills and high-end offensive vision.
2. He is a dual-threat who can finish scoring plays in tight or find the back of the net with a quick release, but I think his playmaking ability and vision will be his ticket to the NHL.
3. Honzek has good hands in tight, especially for a player his size, and he is deadly around the net with how quickly he can pull the puck across his body to get around defenders.

Areas of Improvement

1. The main area of concern with Honzek is that his level of engagement and intensity appear to waver at times.
2. Does not have an elite skill set.

Scouting Report

Honzek has been one of the most productive draft-eligible players in the WHL this season, trailing only Connor Bedard and Andrew Cristall in scoring nearly halfway through the season.
The Big Slovakian winger is an offensively gifted forward with high-quality puck skills and high-end offensive vision. He looks awkward skating at times, but he is deceptively agile and generates good speed when there is open ice in front of him. When he gets a step on a defender at the junior level, it is nearly impossible for them to recover because of how he uses his large frame to shield defenders from the puck. He doesn’t often initiate contact, but that large frame also allows him to absorb contact along the wall and maintain possession or make a play coming off the boards. Honzek has good hands in tight, especially for a player his size, and he is deadly around the net with how quickly he can pull the puck across his body to get around sprawling defenders or goaltenders. He is a dual-threat who can finish scoring plays in tight or find the back of the net with a quick release, but I think his playmaking ability and vision will be his ticket to the NHL. Honzek is a composed and decisive passer who makes quick reads to set up defenders and manipulate lanes to find teammates in good positions. Honzek can shield off opposing players to come away with contested pucks and make a play under pressure because of how he consistently scans the ice around him. The main area of concern with Honzek is that his level of engagement and intensity appear to waver at times, but when he is on, he can be downright dominant at the junior level. My NHL Comparison for Samuel Honzek is Danius Zubrus who was a solid NHL forward in the league, and fit the bill as a middle-six winger. Honzek may never drive a line on his own at the NHL level, but he projects as an effective complementary winger who can generate offense in a middle-six role. He suffered a serious leg injury at the World Juniors, which caused him to miss 4 to 6 weeks; this might impact his draft stock severely, so it would not shock me if he fell out of the first round entirely.