San Jose Sharks 2020 NHL Draft Profile: F Jan Mysak

The San Jose Sharks could have their sights set on forward Jan Mysak with the 2020 NHL Draft around the corner. Let’s take a closer look at the young forward.

The San Jose Sharks should keep their eyes on forward Jan Mysak. The Czech forward is going to be 18-years-old at the end of June and is arguably one of the best prospects to come out of the Czech Republic in quite some time.

Mysak was selected 20th overall in the 2019 CHL Import Draft. However, he elected to play the first half of the season in his home country of the Czech Republic.

Playing in the Czech’s highest league, Mysak was competing against men. In 26 games, he scored just nine points (five goals, four assists). This doesn’t seem like much, but Mysak’s nine points was the most by a player younger than 20 years old this season in that league.

Young players tend not to see much ice-time in the Czech’s too league. However, Mysak was able to secure a top-nine role with erratic minutes.

Strengths

Mysak’s best attribute is probably his shot. He has a very hard and accurate wrist shot with an impressively quick release. To go along with that, his snap shot, backhand, and one-timer are also very good.

Additionally, Mysak has smooth hands and is a fast skater. He often uses his high-end, straight-line speed to get past defenders and uses his nice touch to put pucks passed goaltenders while right in front and around the net.

Mysak is also strong on his feet. Having very good balance, opponents find it difficult to knock Mysak off the puck and even off-balance.

One of the things that stands out about Mysak is his hockey IQ. He is well above the rest of the prospects in this class when it comes to reading plays and defense.

With his elite anticipation, Mysak often gets himself into a defensive position to cause a turnover – whether it be with his body or active stick – and can also get himself into open ice to receive a pass.

Weaknesses

One of Mysak’s most noticeable issues is his skating. Mysak has a different — some might say weird or unorthodox — skating style that gives him issues with his first few steps.

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His skating style doesn’t seem to affect him once he gets going, but it can be a problem when he first starts.

Mysak also isn’t very aggressive and/or physical. He rarely goes to the boards to get the puck. Instead, he hopes his positioning and patience can cause a turnover. This could be an issue in the NHL, especially in high-paced, aggressive playoff hockey.

San Jose Sharks Prediction

Ranked No. 30 by hockeyprospect.com, No. 15 by Future Considerations, No. 25 by ISS Hockey, No. 28 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters), and No. 28 by eliteprospects.com, the earliest Mysak will probably go is the middle of the first round.

I could see the Sharks taking Mysak with their first-round pick or their first second-round pick. But, of course, he has to still be there for the Sharks to be able to select him.

With good size at 6-foot, 181 pounds, and being very good defensively and having some good offensive upside, Mysak projects as a top-six NHL forward. With his issues skating, Mysak is seen more as a winger in the NHL than a center. However, he has experience as a center.

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Although he’s advanced defensively, Mysak’s skating problems will most likely lead to another couple of years developing in juniors and the AHL — hopefully fixing those skating issues.

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