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Looking to the Future

Kings Select defenseman Jakub Dvorak (Round 2, Pick 54)

110 Comments

The LA Kings have made their first selection of the 2023 NHL Draft, selecting defenseman Jakub Dvorak from Liberec of the Czech Extraliga with the 54th overall pick!

The Vitals
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
DOB: May 25, 2005
Height: 6-5
Weight: 209
Hometown: Liberec, Czechia
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 15 (EU Skaters)
TSN/Craig Button’s Final Ranking: 49
The Athletic/Corey Pronman’s Final Ranking: 61
The Hockey News: 53
Stats (Bílí Tygři Liberec): 24 GP, 0G, 2A, 2PTS, 6PIM, -2

What The Experts Said

Chris Peters, FloHockey
Dvorak is an intriguing prospect as a big, raw talent who played professionally in Czechia this year. At 6-foot-5, he’s hard to get around and he’s able to take care of his own zone well. While he makes a good first pass, his offensive skill is limited. Additionally, his skating needs a lot of work. Still, that athletic toolkit is so enticing and worth taking a chance on him.

Corey Pronman, The Athletic
Jakub Dvorak is an interesting one to watch for that reason. He’s huge, he competes hard, and projects to have secondary offense. He’s had a lot of injury issues, both this season and prior ones, but he’s a Tier-3 defense talent if healthy. If a team’s medical staff gives him the thumbs up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go much higher than projected.

Elite Prospects Draft Guide
Dvořák is a big, mobile defenseman who can cover the puck well with his size and height. He has the tools of the trade, the skating and physical play, the willingness to use his frame, to establish body position and seal the puck away from opponents, to use his stick to block lanes.

Quick Take – The Kings are off the mark. Jakub Dvorak is a left-shot defenseman who played 24 games against professionals in the top league in Czechia. A big young man – six-foot five – and shoots left so there’s two areas of the prospect pool that were a bit light coming in. Will naturally hear Mark Yannetti’s take later in the day, but a promising start for a player rated right around this pick by several evaluators.

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