The Pittsburgh Penguins are hopeful a prospect like Dalibor Dvorsky will be available at pick number fourteen.

With such a deep draft class, the Pittsburgh Penguins are hopeful that one of the top players on their board will fall to them at pick 14. One of the players they are surely hoping that happens to is Dalibor Dvorsky, who many are viewing as a top-10 or even top-five pick in this year's draft. 

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Essentials:

2022-23 Team: AIK (Sweden)

Position: Center

Height and Weight: 6’1, 200 pounds

NHL Central Scouting: 4th (among European skaters)

Elite Prospects: 11th

Shoots: Left

Position: C

2022-23 Stats: SHL- 38 GP, 6 G, 8 A, 14 P

J20 Nationell- 10 GP, 10 G, 11 A, 21 P

International Competition: 14 GP, 10 G, 8 A, 18 P

Player Breakdown:

One of the most talented European players in the draft, Dvorsky is a sure-fire top-10 pick, but the Penguins are hopeful he will slip to fourteen. He is a hard working and even smarter player with above average skills across the board. There is truly nothing bad about Dvorsky's game, and there are some scouts who have him ranked as high as a top five prospect this year. At over six feet tall and already 200 pounds, he’s a physically mature player with a style of play that can transition to the NHL within the next two to three years.

What sticks out the most in Dvorsky’s game is his intelligence. Though he’s not the best shooter or playmaker in the draft, he seems to always know what the smart play is and makes it. He sees the ice well, and has just as much ease threading a cross-ice pass as he does receiving a one-timer. Despite his scoring being secondary to his in game intelligence, Dvorsky's offensive toolkit is deep and effective.

His high IQ extends to both ends of the ice as well. He’s an all-around player, and that extends into the defensive zone. He has keen defensive zone awareness and is hardly ever out of position. He works just as hard away from the puck, and he projects to be both a penalty killer and power play contributor at the next level.

What Needs To Improve:

The biggest knock on Dvorsky is his skating. His initial strides aren’t the best, delaying his ability to reach top speed. Once he’s in stride, his skating improves, but he’ll need to focus on improving his first stride and initial burst. If he can add that to his arsenal, his intelligence will only create more chances that his improved skating can carry him to.

NHL Player Comparison: Carter Verhaeghe

NHL ETA: 2025-26 season

Dvorsky is one of several first round talents that has a strong overall game, but still feels a couple years away from the NHL. With some technique improvements, his skating will be ready, but that isn’t the largest obstacle to the professional level. What also will stall his progress is establishing whether he is a true center or winger at the NHL level.

With a few more seasons playing in Europe, whatever team drafts Dvorsky will have to decide where he is best suited to play before he can make a real impact at the NHL level. Once he's there, however, expect a top six forward who impacts the game on both ends of the ice.

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