Broadcast 2023 Draft Evaluation: Jakub Dvořák w/ Ruutu, Yannetti & Wheeler

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ATKM

Lurker
The conversation of Dvořák's skating is fascinating to me. Dissenting opinions firmly held.


The LA Kings selected defenseman Jakub Dvořák in the 2nd round (54th overall) of the 2023 Entry Draft. Dvořák spent the 2022-23 season with HC Bílí Tygři Liberec (The Czech Extraliga/ELH) and will likely return for the 2023-24 season. Christian Ruuttu, Director of European Scouting, and Mark Yannetti, Director of Amateur Scouting discuss the Kings thought process behind the pick and Scott Wheeler (The Athletic) gives Jesse Cohen and Zach Dooley his personal scouting report on the young defenseman.

 
Helvetica said:
I'm still floored at how far apart the scouts are on his skating. Looking forward to seeing this guy in camp.
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Me too. I’ve never heard that kind of discrepancy before with something as tangible as skating. Yanetti and team are calling it an actual strength for this kid. And Wheeler isn’t calling it just bad - he’s calling it worst-in-the-draft bad.

Wheeler was specific in saying he’s had lower body injuries that have hampered him, and also cited specific examples of him getting turnstyled and being terrible at pivoting. Without having ever seen him I don’t pick up on anything in that assessment that sounds like it could be off.
 
Clif said:
Me too. I’ve never heard that kind of discrepancy before with something as tangible as skating. Yanetti and team are calling it an actual strength for this kid. And Wheeler isn’t calling it just bad - he’s calling it worst-in-the-draft bad.

Wheeler was specific in saying he’s had lower body injuries that have hampered him, and also cited specific examples of him getting turnstyled and being terrible at pivoting. Without having ever seen him I don’t pick up on anything in that assessment that sounds like it could be off.
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yeah its just so odd to hear one side saying, high end skating ability, and the other saying huge red flag. Im wondering if Wheeler has seen him much since he's been fully recovered? Just so... odd.
 
Helvetica said:
yeah its just so odd to hear one side saying, high end skating ability, and the other saying huge red flag. Im wondering if Wheeler has seen him much since he's been fully recovered? Just so... odd.
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That’s one possibility. Maybe Yanetti’s team is grading him on a curve re: his skating relative to his size. If it’s about puck protection vs. puck moving with this player, they could have different criteria they’re looking at whereas Wheeler’s take might be more generalized. Still, his take was really straightforward.
 
I finally listened to this and Wheeler sounds like he's anchoring badly and not looking at the development curve.

This doesn't mean he's wrong, when ranking the top 100 guys and looking at 75 vs 50, which was his discrepancy, it's pretty logical to trust another player that started at a higher bar.

The question for the kings is if they could have gotten him in the 3rd, probably not based on even Wheelers comments. Yanneti said they were more comfortable with him over a 6 foot plus skill guy, which I'm more worried about since it reinforced the reputation of taking an NHL regular vs trying to find a game breaker.

In any case remember the words sound like huge deviations but Wheeler still ranked him as a third.
 
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