2023 NHL Draft Prospects, Samuel Honzek’s Overloaded Stats Column

tomtidgewellNovember 23, 2022

Slovakian rookie winger Samuel Honzek said: i am here for 2 months. I know what life is like i know what to expect. ”

Samuel Honzek of the Vancouver Giants celebrates his goal against the Kamloops Blazers on October 23 at the Langley Event Center. Photo by Robert J. Wilton /jpg

Rookie winger Samuel Honzek has played so well for the Vancouver Giants this season that he deserves a little uptick in treatment.

It looks like Honzek is on pace for 44 goals and 99 points this season as Vancouver nears the WHL regular season one-third mark.

The 18-year-old Slovakia led Vancouver with 13 goals and 29 points in 20 games as of Wednesday morning. He brought a seven-game point streak (7-9-16) to the Giants’ Wednesday night visit to the Spokane Chiefs.

For reference, Swedish winger Fabian Reissel, a first-round pick by the Boston Bruins in the 2021 NHL Draft, surpassed the Giants in scoring in the regular season last year with 62 points, including 22 goals in 53 games. Earned.

To put it another way, Honzek’s compatriot Marek Tovrdon played 60 games as a winger in the 2011/12 season and was the top-scoring European player in the regular season (31) and goals (74). holds the record for the Giants.

“I’m more comfortable. “I try to learn new things and try to do my best.”

Samuel Honzek recently @WHL GiantsHe has a five-game scoring streak and a seven-game scoring streak. He’s been worth the price of admission so far this season. #2023NHLDraft #WHL

—Adam Kierszenblat (@Adamkblat) November 21, 2022

To show how Honzek managed early on, we provide these on-pace numbers. , we already know that won’t happen.

Honzek played for Slovakia at the revived World Juniors in Edmonton last summer and is expected to be part of the squad for this year’s tournaments in Halifax and Moncton, New Jersey on Boxing Day. It has been. Honzek has yet to set a firm date for his training camp in Slovakia but speculates he will be asked to join his national teammates around December 14.

Vancouver forward Zach Ostapchuk, 19, played for Team Canada over the summer and should be in the mix to play again in Moncton and Halifax. Team Canada will have his selection camp December 9-12 in Moncton. If the Ottawa senator’s prospects stick as expected, it means Vancouver will be without Ostapchuk in nine or ten games.

The Giants’ last season went off track when they lost Reissel and goaltender Jesper Vikmann to Team Sweden, coach Michael Dyke, trainer Michael Bernstein and forward Justin Sodiff to World Juniors’ Team Canada. . of COVID-19.

Vancouver lost 9 of 10 when missing at least part of the quintet in December, 8 of which came to teams behind in the standings.

Giants center Ty Thorpe, one of 12 returning players from last year’s team, believes the group learned from the junior worlds troubles a season ago.

“Even if you lose them, you can’t change your habits,” Thorpe said. structure must be maintained.

“A lot of teams have gone through that at World Juniors. I think we have a resilient group. We can overcome that.”

Even with time apart, Honzek should still be split between Reissel and Tvrdon combined.

Honzek was one of ten WHLers ranked ‘A’ on the NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch list.

At 6 feet 3 inches and 181 pounds, he has already shown his willingness to play in high traffic areas. And he has the ability to pull away from defenders with Speed Burst, Open Ice.

“He moves really well. He’s got that insane speed,” Thorpe said. “I think he’s made great strides in the game since the beginning of the year. He thinks about this game at a very high level. will fight.

SEwen@postmedia.com

Twitter: @SteveEwen