3 players to watch on the Czech Republic at the World Cup
While no longer the dominant hockey nation it once was, featuring the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Patrick Elias, and Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, there is no denying that the Czech Republic still brings skill to the international table.
The Czech Republic has put together an interesting mix of talent young and old as its World Cup entry, from Ales Hemsky of the Dallas Stars to Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks. But, with no dominant scorer among the group, team unity will be a major requirement as the Czechs take on a scoring-by-committee approach to find success at the tournament.
With the World Cup kicking off Sept. 17, we've highlighted three Czech players worth keeping an eye on.
Jakub Voracek
The offensive catalyst of the Czech team, Philadelphia Flyers winger Jakub Voracek will be looked upon to drive the offense for his native country. He'll have the opportunity to do so surrounded by the likes of Tomas Plekanec, David Krejci, and Ondrej Palat, among others.
Voracek, 27, had a down season last year, as his goal totals reduced by half, while his production dropped to 55 points, a three-year low, and down from a career-high 81 points in the previous campaign. A strong performance at the World Cup would not only serve the Czech team well, but would be a nice ramp up for Voracek heading into Philadelphia's training camp come October.
Vladimir Sobotka
Vladimir Sobotka has spent the past two seasons with Omsk of the KHL. Over that time, the versatile pivot has scored 28 goals and 44 assists, good for 72 points in 97 games.
The 29-year-old has been a frequent participant with the Czech at international tournaments, most recently at the the 2015 World Championship, where he scored four times. At the previous year's tournament, Sobotka notched two goals and four assists through nine games, finishing third in team scoring.
Should Sobotka have a strong showing at the World Cup, it may influence whether he returns to the NHL. Despite the will-he-or-won't-he saga involving his potential return to the St. Louis Blues, the Blues hold his rights for one season, before he can become an unrestricted free agent.
Petr Mrazek
All eyes will be on Petr Mrazek, the 24-year-old netminder who stole the crease in Detroit last year from veteran keeper Jimmy Howard.
In just his second full-time season, Mrazek appeared in 54 games, posting a 27-16-6 record. He was particularly strong in the first half of the season, and was a major reason why the Red Wings' playoff streak reached 25 straight seasons.
At the World Cup, Mrazek is the likely starter for the Czech Republic ahead of Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec and Philadelphia's Michal Neuvirth. He'll need to be on his toes too, as the Czech defense leaves much to be desired. Headlined by the likes of Arizona's Zbynek Michalek and Toronto's Roman Polak, there is no Top 4 defender among the group, let alone a top pairing blue-liner. Mrazek will surely have his work cut out for him.