Following a standout OHL season, Czech blueliner Vladimír Dravecký dazzled Dallas at the NHL Combine, eyeing a potential second-round fit alongside the organization’s elite defensive core.
Although the Dallas Stars don't pick until 59th overall in the second round of next week's draft, that didn't stop them from doing their homework at Saturday's NHL Scouting Combine.
Dravecký told The Hockey News he enjoyed the meeting and called it a great conversation. When asked what it would mean to join an organization like Dallas and develop alongside some of the game's premier defensive talent, the 18-year-old Czech blueliner didn't hesitate.
"Yeah it would be great with players like that, I think it would be perfect to play with them and share the locker room with them and ice so, yeah, it would be great," Dravecký explained.
The opportunity to learn from Miro Heiskanen and the rest of Dallas's highly regarded defensive corps clearly appeals to Dravecký, and it is not difficult to see why a prospect with his profile would thrive in that kind of environment.
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The six-foot, 192-pound defenseman is coming off a strong first season in North America with the Brantford Bulldogs, posting nine goals and 19 assists for 28 points while carrying a plus-24 rating and playing a pivotal role on the backend of a Brantford team that finished as the best in the Eastern Conference.
Dravecký also opened up about his influences growing up, naming Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson as one of his childhood idols. It is a fitting comparison in terms of the kind of offensive, puck-moving blueliner Dravecký aspires to be.
Currently listed 72nd overall in Elite Prospects' consolidated draft rankings, Dravecký is projected as a second-round talent, which would put him right in range for Dallas at 59th overall. If the Stars came away from their meeting as impressed as Dravecký seemed to be, they may not need to look very far when their pick is on the clock.
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