As expected, the Vancouver Canucks have come in under the wire with a contract for prospect Karel Plasek. The deal will keep Plasek from becoming an unrestricted free agent later today when his draft rights would have expired. The three-year entry-level contract will start next season and brings the Czech forward into the organization after an eye-opening season for Brno Kometa.
Plasek, 20, is expected to report to Abbotsford next season according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic, who notes that it is his hockey IQ that the Canucks are excited about. The young forward has been playing at the highest level in the Czech Republic for several seasons, recording 10 points in 44 games Brno this year. It’s not that he is expected to be an offensive leader in Vancouver, but a valuable depth player that can move around the lineup.
Obviously, that’s a far-fetched dream at this point, given how much development he still needs, but if Vancouver is going to really turn the ship around they’ll need to start producing their own homegrown bottom-six talent instead of paying for it on the open market. Plasek is exactly the type of prospect that can turn into that, but the organization and player have work to do in the coming years to get him there.