Zarek Kaczka Prospect Scouting Report

[Hank 67]

So, now that Zarek will be heading into the draft, I will be giving the GMs some light on the type of player he is. To start off, let's look at his S77 stats. He had 31 goals and 43 assists in 72 games played, just barely averaging over a point per game. As he is a defenseman, he tied for 8th for points scored in the VHLM as a defenseman. I would say this is pretty good for a VHLM rookie. He also tied for 6th for game winning goals. On the defensive side of things he was only slightly above average in my opinion, having 151 hits and 70 shots blocked. His +/- was -12 though, which is horrendous. He also had a hat trick during the regular season. In the playoffs he had 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 games played, just a point  per game. His defense was lackluster as he had 7 hits and 5 shots blocked. Overall I would say it was a great season for Zarek and he helped contribute to the Aces getting as far as they did.

 

Now for his playstyle. He is 6'8 and 230 pounds, so a big player to say the least. This helps him hit hard on defense and take the puck away by being able to reach with his long arms. This does slow him down quite a bit though. On offense, he likes taking lots of shots, and I mean A LOT. He shot 290 times in the S77 season. But it isn't like he doesn't pass, as he still had 43 assists. I would say he is very offensive minded for a defenseman. This may be very valuable to some teams though. I think he can also work on his defense and get it to way higher standards considering his size. The only major problem I see is that he might not work very well with teammates on the ice as he had a +/- of -12.

 

Now, the last thing before the pros and cons, we have where Zarek would like to go with his VHL career. He is going to enter the draft this season obviously, but he will stay at 249 tpe to play with the Aces one last season, and then come up to the VHL. He does not really mind which team he goes to, but he would prefer Warsaw because it is in Poland, where he grew up, and very close to home so he can visit his family often. That doesn't mean he would hate being on any other team, he just wants to get into the VHL. Zarek said he is just excited to be getting drafted and earning a contract. 

 

Pros:
+ Offense minded defenseman.

+ Passes the puck around.

+ Not afraid to take shots on the goal.

+ Has big size, which can really help on defense.
+ Plays well in clutch moments.

+ Never has a negative morale.

 

Cons:

- Sluggish.

- Sometimes shoots way too much.

- May not work well with certain teammates.

- Struggles defensively sometimes.