BSH 2023 Community Draft Board, No. 8: Dalibor Dvorsky

Dalibor Dvorsky isn’t the flashiest of players at the top of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft but what can come from a team selecting him in the top-15 could be a solidifying presence in a team’s prospect pool and someone that has shown maturity through his career so far.

Most players coming into the draft have rare experience playing against grown adults. We get to go all gooey-eyed at the hundreds of points some teenager was able to score against teams of future marketing consultants, wanting our favorite team to select the dude that scored a hat trick every other game. But, there is something to be said for being able to hold some ground against players that have formed professional careers out of playing this sport.

Dvorsky has been playing against adults since the 2020-21 season. In comparison, that season Adam Fantilli made his USHL debut and was just a year separated from playing on his high school team in New Hampshire, Zach Benson made his WHL debut, and Will Smith was still on his Boston Junior Eagles Under-16 team and played a little high school hockey. All three of those players are projected to be selected before Dvorsky this June.

That level of experience in the draft is rare and usually that gives a player more credit, even if their statistics don’t pop off the page.

Pre-Draft Rankings

No. 3 (European skaters) by NHL Central Scouting
No. 9 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
No. 17 by EliteProspects
No. 8 by The Athletic/Corey Pronman
No. 11 by FCHockey

Statistics

As mentioned, Dvorsky started his professional career playing in the top Slovakian division in the 2020-21 season. He only scored two goals and four points in 20 games, but the dude was 15 years old so I think we can give him some slack when the league’s leading scorer was a 36-year-old that has been playing professionally since before Dvorsky was born. Imagine playing against a guy 21 years older than you as your first experience of serious hockey. Insane.

Anyways, Dvorsky was destined for bigger things and went over to Sweden to play for Stockholm-based AIK. He started in their junior leagues – was listed on the Under-18 team but was instantly too good and appeared on the Under-20 team before playing in the younger group. His 1.21 points per game in those 33 games he played for the junior team would be just under 2022 first-rounders like Filip Bystedt (1.23) and Noah Ostlund (1.31). Considering that he was doing this a year younger than those guys and they were selected pretty damn high, that is saying something.

Those top 2022 picks kept on playing in the junior league but Dvorsky was eventually promoted to the Allsvenskan (the Swedish second division) and finished out his season there, scoring 14 points in 38 games.

This past season, Dvorsky’s 0.37 points per game in the Allsvenskan was better than some of the NHL’s brightest stars at the same age. Elias Pettersson (0.36), Jesper Bratt (0.35), William Karlsson (0.29), and Andre Burakovsky (0.26), all had fewer points per game than Dvorsky when they were 17 years old playing in the same league. This level of production is some of the best we have seen from a teenager playing in Sweden in this century, to put it plainly

And even when playing for his country at the Gretzky-Hlinka Under-18 tournament this year, Dvorsky was clearly the best player. He finished with the second-most amount of goals in the tournament, with eight, and led the Slovakian team in scoring with 13 points.

Don’t let the low number of points across the board fool you when it comes to playing in these leagues, Dvorsky is an offensive talent.

What’s there to like?

A whole lot! Of course hockey isn’t played on paper so we can’t just give him a big ol’ thumbs up because of how many goals and assists he managed to score in the past few years. But just watching him, you know he is oozing with potential out of every pore.

His skating is solid enough to support his teammates and be the main focus of every single play. He can be seen taking the puck through all three zones, exiting out of his own end with possession and ending the play by creating a scoring chance a hundred or so feet down the ice.

The best part is his ability to stickhandle through traffic while in motion. Standing at 6-foot-1, he has the size to not move as well as he does, but while making his way up the ice with possession of the puck, he can bob and weave with his body movements, skating, and stick-handling all playing in unison to navigate through a whole lot of defenders.

Maybe we can just chalk up his strengths to “hockey IQ” because he is simply one of the most aware forwards in this draft class. He can play with a whole array of teammates and bring all the attention on his shoulders, making his teammates better and more open for their own scoring chances. We love him.

Plus, his defensive effort to get the puck back is always noted. He is just a hound for the puck.

What’s not to like?

The one key thing that scouts have focused as a downside of Dvorsky’s game compared to his 2023 peers is a lack of explosiveness.

You won’t be jumping off your seat from the moment Dvorsky takes a stride with the puck, but it’s the ability to keep possession and try just so damn hard to get the puck back when he loses it, that causes everyone to be excited.

The way he moves on the ice might be compared to some other NHL centers like Jack Eichel – not electric or necessarily even energetic – but just calm and calculated strides that can either result in strong strides going north or have the ability to read plays and not have to waste so much energy. There is nothing frantic about Dvorsky’s approach to hockey, and sometimes that doesn’t get the “wow” factor.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?

Personally, I think really well. The Flyers have a lot of shoot-first talent who can get set up and fire some shots onto the opposing goalie. The young forwards like Tyson Foerster, Joel Farabee, and Owen Tippett should make their careers out of being those guys on good teams. But Philadelphia is really missing the distributor and someone that can be that full 200-foot center that plays in all situations and – don’t kill me – fills that Claude Giroux-sized hole when it comes to a successful Flyers team.

We aren’t saying that Dvorsky can be exactly that, he has enough pressure on him, but with a duo of Dvorsky and Gauthier as younger, potential top-six forwards, the Flyers should be feeling good; if that is the case.

Can the Flyers actually get him?

With the seventh-overall pick, they should be able to – maybe an 80 percent chance that Dvorsky will still be available when Danny Briere and Keith Jones walk up to the podium.

The players that have seen their stock rise as more NHL teams start to focus on the draft more than their current team, are the likes of Will Smith and David Reinbacher. Dvorsky was projected as a top-five pick for this draft last summer and has slowly seen other players overtake his position. Now, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was selected as high as seven, or even slip out of the top-12.

What scouts are saying

Dvorsky is quite dangerous inside the offensive zone. He has excellent puck skills in small areas and can make checkers miss routinely in open ice. He can make tough plays and find seams. He excels as a goal scorer, though, with a wrist shot and one-timer that he can often finish from range. Dvorsky’s compete is good, he wins puck battles and he isn’t shy from using his body. Like a lot of shooters he can stay too much on the perimeter instead of taking it to the net, but I never watch his games and think he lacks effort. His footspeed is going to be an issue for higher levels. I think with his offensive talent, his work ethic and strong and consistent track record of scoring he finds a way to become a very important part of an NHL lineup, but I’m less sure of whether he sticks down the middle or has to be a winger due to his skating. – Corey Pronman, The Athletic

Most hype has quieted down for Dvorsky over the past year, but he still put decent numbers playing against men. The raw talent is there, and if he falls outside the top 15, Dvorsky could just become one of the bigger steals. It feels like we’re always looking for a bit more out of him. Still, the raw skill is there, and he has a solid CV. Plus, he earned some MVP consideration for the way he dominated with Slovakia at the U-18s. – Steven Ellis, DailyFaceoff

Dalibor Dvorský is a dynamic forward with a Swiss army knife of offensive ability with phenomenal hands which he can uses whilst in full flight. He also owns an equally great slapshot and wrist shot with a snappy release he is able to pick corners from range. Paired with Dvorský’s IQ and his ability to read plays before they happen this makes him an elite powerplay specialist with him already quarterbacking AIK powerplay this season. – Joe Maciag, Recruit Scouting

We’ll make another addition to the poll, and it’s Owen Sound Attack forward Colby Barlow!

It’s not easy to score 30 goals as a U17 player in the OHL, but Colby Barlow did that last year for the Owen Sound Attack. Only Shane Wright, Jacob Perreault, Arthur Kaliyev, and Cole Perfetti had accomplished the feat in the last decade. This set up lofty expectations for Barlow heading into his draft year. Thus far, he has delivered. As of writing this, Barlow sits third in OHL goal scoring with 27 goals in 35 games. This puts him on pace to score 50 as a U18 player, a feat accomplished even less frequently than 30 as a U17 player. Only John Tavares, Alex Debrincat, Steve Stamkos, Arthur Kaliyev, and Jeff Skinner have scored 50 as U18 players this millennium.

However, Barlow is more than just an accomplished junior goal scorer and that is what has made him a potential lottery selection for this year’s NHL draft. Even as a 17 year old (his 18th birthday is next month), he is serving as the captain for the Owen Sound Attack. This is a testament to his terrific character. Additionally, his game on the ice is extremely well rounded. He has a positive impact on the game at both ends of the ice and can be utilized in any situation. With good size and speed, in addition to a strong understanding of how to position himself without the puck, Barlow projects as a versatile, two-way top six winger at the NHL level. – Brock Otten, McKeen’s Hockey

Who should be No. 9 on the Community Draft Board?

Previously on the 2023 Community Draft Board…

1. Connor Bedard
2. Adam Fantilli
3. Matvei Michkov
4. Leo Carlsson
5. Will Smith
6. Zach Benson
7. Oliver Moore
8. Dalibor Dvorsky
9. …