Claimed: CLAIMED: Emil Martinov Rookie Profile

[Guest daBenchwarmer]

Junior Hockey Scouting Report #18492

Martinov during an international friendly with the Swiss U20 Hockey Team

 

Name: Martinov, Emil

DOB: August 26, 1999 (Aged 17)

Place of Birth: Varna, Bulgaria

Nationality: Bulgarian & Czech (Plays for the Czech Republic Internationally)

Position: Defence

Shoots: Right

Height: 6 Feet & 2 Inches

Weight: 204 Pounds

Youth Team: HC Ceske Budejovice U20 (Czech U20 League)

Projection: Early 2nd Round for the 55th VHLM Dispersal Draft

Player Projection: Top 4 Puck-Moving, Mobile, Defensive Defenseman; Long term project

 

BRIEF OVERVIEW

 

This gem of a player is coming right out of the Czech Republic's top U20 League, leading all defensemen in hits (206), shots blocked (103) and was 3rd in the league for takeaways (39). While Martinov is fairly sound defensively for a guy from a country where hockey isn't really on anyone's minds, he does have some mental lapses and is prone to rookie mistakes. Martinov is a prototypical defensive defenseman who can also move his feet and keep the play alive in the offensive zone. He's somewhat weak in the offensive zone aside from his passing game, with his shot nothing to write home about, and his ability to put up points fairly mediocre. Draft this guy if you need help in your own zone, not if you're looking for that dynamic defenseman to drive your powerplay.

 

PROS

 

Defence: Defence appears to have been something Martinov worked on extensively since he started hockey. Not only is he able to pick up on his opponents' offensive plays, but his ability to control the gap, get into the way of shooting lanes and win key puck battles in his own end were probably one of the best on his team, if not the Czech U20 League. If you're looking for a guy to make those key plays and takeaway the puck from your opponents, Martinov is your guy.

 

Skating: The expectation for Martinov's ability to skate wasn't very high. Initial expectations were that Martinov would be one of those bruising defensemen who could barely skate and keep up with the play. Martinov keeps his composure when he's skating and is a fairly elegant skater, especially for someone who plays a physically demanding game. He can also play tough minutes, he can play any defensive role on your team and he's fairly composed when it comes to checking.

 

Passing: While Martinov is a defensive defenseman, he possesses an uncanny ability to use his stick more than just stick checking. Even though Martinov isn't the point producer, the majority of his points came from both primary and secondary assists, seeing him either pass the puck to an open winger on a 5 on 5 situation or blast the puck from the point only to have it tipped. It's Martinov's uncanny ability to find any open guy on the ice that allows him to fully utilize every square inch of the ice. 

 

CONS

 

Offence: Just offence in general, Martinov struggles with. While he is able to pass the puck relatively well, he's not a two-way or offensive defenseman and will have difficulty generating offence aside from passing the puck. If you're expecting Martinov to be a game changing offensive defenseman, you're mistaken and should be ashamed of yourself.

 

Adapting to Life in North America: Many scouts have had concerns over Martinov's ability to adapt to life in North America. While the culture shock is the biggest concern, it's the language barrier that is certain to prohibit Martinov's growth, as well as his strong connections to back home. Regardless, there is a slight possibility Martinov may be able to adapt to North American life, since there are other Czech players in the VHLM, but don't keep your hopes up.

 

Leadership: He's not a good leader, doesn't really keep his composure when the chips are all in and the game can be tight. While he can get the bench going with one huge hit on an opposition player, or maybe a fancy move, Martinov is unable to lead a locker room or to even keep it together, which does not make him captain-material. 

 

SEASON STATS

 

+--------+-------------------------+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+
| Season | Team                    | GP | G | A  | P  | +/- | PIM |
+--------+-------------------------+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+
| 13-14  | CSKA Sofia              | 9  | 5 | 14 | 19 | 14  | 20  |
+--------+-------------------------+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+
| 14-15  | HC Ceske Budejovice     | 12 | 0 | 3  | 3  | -11 | 14  |
+--------+-------------------------+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+
| 14-15  | HC Ceske Budejovice U20 | 27 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 8   | 32  |
+--------+-------------------------+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+
| 15-16  | HC Ceske Budejovice U20 | 39 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 17  | 40  |
+--------+-------------------------+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+
| 16-17  | HC Ceske Budejovice U20 | 41 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 21  | 52  |
+--------+-------------------------+----+---+----+----+-----+-----+

Edited May 12, 2017 by Guest