Martin Pospisil made a name for himself with the Calgary Flames as a rookie this season. He wasn’t up high on the Calder voting, but if they gave out a trophy for emerging NHL pest, the 24-year-old would have been the frontrunner.
Earning a trip overseas for the 2024 IIHF World Championship to compete for Slovakia, Pospisil is again standing out — but as much for his play as his peskiness.
Playing centre for his country, Pospisil has been an early tournament favourite with a pair of goals and six points in his first five games. Up in Connor Bedard territory before the weekend schedule.
He’s turning his trademark pain-in-the-backside motor, too, ticking off Brady Tkachuk in his contest against Team USA and generally rubbing people the wrong way across the board.
As interesting as his international play has been this spring, the Calgary Flames are even more curious about how the gritty forward will translate his stellar 2023-24 into an epic 2024-25 NHL campaign.
Called up in November, Pospisil played on the wing in his rookie season — frequently alongside the team’s top point-getter Nazem Kadri. Pospisil finished with eight goals and 24 points in 63 games, surprising most with his relentlessness. He also had a team leading hit total of nearly 240.
Frequently skating that thin line between pestering and prohibited, occasionally crossing the line and suffering the suspension consequences.
If he can learn to stay aggressive gut keep to the allowed agitation, he’ll cement his status as a player who delivers on entertainment value. The potential for more points is there, too.
What’s impressive about his run for Slovakia so far is that he’s doing it as a centre. That’s a position the Flames could use more depth in after the Elias Lindholm trade left them with Kadri, Mikael Backlund and Kevin Rooney with Zary and Yegor Sharangovich also getting some spins down the stretch.
Based on his style of play, it’s likely Pospisil will stick to the sides, but regardless of his position, a boost of confidence from a strong international tournament could help him elevate his play in his second season.
It certainly helped defenceman MacKenzie Weegar last year after he put together a career season with 20 goals and 52 points after being named the World Championship’s top blueliner.
Andrew Mangiapane was the tourney’s MVP in 2021 and put together a 35-goal season the next season.
We’ll see what Pospisil does from here.