Scout's Notebook: Radim Mrtka and Vojtěch Čihař generating intrigue for 2025 NHL Draft

Even with some of the bigger names like Luka Radivojevic and Adam Benák having left for the USHL, it's still a good time to be a scout in Central Europe. 

In fact that both the Czech and Slovakian leagues have five prospects rated as C-grades or higher in NHL Central Scouting's most recent watch list.

So, let's take a look at four of the most interesting prospects from the region and how they've performed in the first few months of the season.

Radim Mrtka, D, HC Oceláři Třinec (Czechia)

Early in the season, it looked like Radim Mrtka could be on his way to logging significant minutes in Czechia's professional league as a 17-year-old defenceman, following promising performances at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and in the Champions League. However, his minutes with HC Oceláři Třinec started to dwindle quickly after the regular season got into gear. Over the past month, he has been relegated to playing against junior competition, which does not provide evaluators with much to assess.

To the delight of evaluators, Mrtka did end up playing respectable minutes at the recent U20 Five Nations event. His tournament followed an upward trajectory—he struggled quite heavily against Sweden in the opener but significantly improved his play in the subsequent games, albeit against weaker competition.

In the later games, his biggest selling points were on full display. He was actively involved in play across all three zones, looking to create value through both in-zone and rush activations. He demonstrated playmaking vision as a passer from the boards and mostly had good ideas for improving the conditions of play. While more inconsistent in transition, he improved his puck management over the course of the tournament, ultimately showcasing small glimpses of more advanced breakout techniques.

Mrtka has the size, reach, and mentality to become a defensive force as well, but his defensive reads—particularly in-zone—were arguably his weakest area throughout the tournament. While he improved his gap control and peripheral vision as a rush defender after the Sweden game, he was beaten too often due to overcommitting to the puck carrier and failing to stick to his assignments. Additionally, his handling and overall mechanics remain a hindrance, preventing him from fully capitalizing on his offensive ideas.

Ranked 17th on our initial 2025 board, Mrtka could end up sliding slightly, but he still looked like an A-grade prospect for the majority of the tournament. At this point, he should seriously consider a move to the CHL for the remainder of the season; playing at the Czechia U20 level is far from ideal for his long-term development. Otherwise, scouts will have to rely heavily on his international performances to evaluate his potential.

Vojtěch Čihař, LW/RW, HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia)

Even if many see Adam Benák as Czechia's top forward for this year's draft, Vojtěch Čihař is likely to have a shot at going higher than him on draft day. The 6-foot-1 winger is already climbing the scoring leaderboard among draft-eligible skaters in recent history in Czechia's professional league, having recorded seven points in 20 games and earning increased responsibilities month by month. At the recent U20 Five Nations, he performed well as one of the youngest players at the event, adding two points in four games.

Čihař has the makeup of a potential checking-role winger in the NHL. His skating projection is likely at least slightly above average on our scale, and he leverages that ability to create significant pressure on the forecheck. To enhance his effectiveness, he already has a solid physical game, which allows him to gain leverage in puck battles while maintaining stability on his feet. He uses contact intelligently, which—combined with his skating—helps him win puck retrievals.

At the U20 Five Nations, Čihař also impressed with his ability to connect plays in transition, often using the middle option to pass through opponents; very rarely did the attack break down on his stick. While his overall hockey sense grade may not stand out, he does recognize opportunities away from the puck and links up effectively with teammates in the offensive zone.

The main question with Čihař is how much offensive upside he ultimately possesses. While there have been flashes here and there, his overall skill level appears more average compared to some of his peers. Nevertheless, he has a strong case for being considered a legitimate B-grade prospect.

Tomáš Poběžal, RW, HK Nitra (Slovakia)

There are four first-time draft-eligible forwards in the Slovakian professional league who have played regular minutes during the first months of the season. No one has been as productive Tomáš Poběžal who currently sits with eight goals and 12 points in his first 19 games with HK Nitra. The 5-foot-10 forward was already playing a regular shift with the team last year and has already more than doubled his production in almost half the games.

While Poběžal has scored multiple goals from low-percentage angles, he's also been able to find chances and goals utilizing his quickness off the rush. He's an opportunistic finisher from the net-front, but also shows some shooting skill through in-stride releases.

However, I haven't seen much in the form of tangible NHL upside with Poběžal over the course of my early-season viewings. While the skating is a relatively projectable tool and he has some scoring instincts, he's not been a driver of play on his line and hasn't shown much in the way of higher-end offensive skill or playmaking touch. He's also been notoriously fumbling a lot of pucks in transition, even ones that he should be able to handle relatively easily. What's also going against him is that he's one of the oldest players in the draft class, having been just days away from being eligible last year.

Max Pšenička, D, HC Plzeň (Czechia)

While Mrtka has gotten the vast majority of the attention given to Czech defencemen in this draft cycle, Max Pšenička has managed to carve out more minutes in the country’s professional ranks over the past month. In total, he has played 12 games with HC Plzeň, adding one goal and averaging just under 11 minutes per night.

Pšenička is yet another towering blueliner—currently listed at 6-foot-4—who clearly has a desire to get involved in play at both ends of the ice. He arguably has an edge over Mrtka in terms of pure skating mechanics, although he does have his awkward-looking moments from time to time. At the recent U18 Five Nations event, he pushed his activation game harder than he does in league play, joining nearly every rush he possibly could. He can also be physically punishing in his own end.

What currently separates Mrtka from Pšenička is that the former has better ideas with the puck and a higher level of offensive instincts. In the offensive zone, Pšenička’s game is mostly limited to shots from the point, showing little in the way of creativity. He is also very much a mixed bag in transition under pressure, as he has yet to demonstrate the ability to make more complex plays. Nevertheless, he remains a player our scouting staff will keep a close eye on for the remainder of the season.