Novotny, Stepan - RW - Kelowna WHL

Stepan Novotny / Kelowna Rockets WHL

RW-R / 6-1.5, 190 / 21-Sep-90

Skating: 65 / Skill: 55 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 30 / Tough: 25

Strengths: Some slick offensive ability. Very good skater with speed and shiftyness.

Weaknesses: Does not like to get hit and plays somewhat scared.

There's a lot of raw talent here. Has a lot of speed and lateral quickness. Creative and can make some flashy plays. Has a bit of hot dog in him, so when he gets lots of room, he can make some fancy, dazzling rushes.

The problem is that he needs that wide open room. For the most part, he actively avoids getting hit and does not like traffic at all. There were stretches in the middle of this season, however, where he showed a bit more toughness and willingness to take hits. So there is some hope here. But that seemed to disappear again once the playoffs started.

Summary: I'd rather have a lazy player than a scared one, but every once in a while a player at this age finds some courage. So I'd argue it's worth spending a very late pick on a guy with early round skating and skill level like this.

Draft Day: Might not go at all or is a late round pick.