Starting his 2024-25 campaign in the Czech Republic, Radim Mrtka wasn’t getting the minutes to show what he could offer in his draft season. In late November, the decision was made to head to the Western Hockey League to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds team that selected him in the 2024 Import Draft.
Date of Birth: June 9, 2007
Birthplace: Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 218 lbs.
Position: Defence
Shoots: Right
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
There was an adjustment period coming to North America as he had six penalty minutes in his first game and was a combined -4 through his first three matches, but he quickly adapted to the game and began to make a positive impact. He ended up with three goals and 32 assists in the 43 regular-season games he played, and added another three helpers in the playoffs.
Strengths
The most impressive thing about Mrtka is his size. Standing 6’6″ and weighing in at 218 pounds, it’s a rare profile he brings to the draft class. The second-most impressive attribute is that he moves quite well on the ice, taking advantage of his long strides to recover defensively and stay between forwards and the middle of the ice they’re trying to get to. It’s difficult to get around him at the blue line, and you’re not going to force your way to the top of the crease when he’s on the ice, either. Because he doesn’t have to expend a great deal of energy just to move around, he’s able to play a lot of minutes every night.
Opposing players have a tough time overcoming his reach when he decides to head up the ice on a rush. He can simply move the puck well out of their range and keep on moving, getting over his own blue line and advancing on the attacking zone in a few strides.
Once he’s up to speed on the rush, defenders can do little but try to seal the lanes, made harder by how much ground he can cover quickly. In motion he just has to wait for the opening to appear to a teammate, and then hit them with a pass.
Weaknesses
There isn’t a great deal of dynamism to his offensive play. Passes are usually just flat pucks shoved along to their destination, and that’s true whether he’s gliding around the perimeter of the offensive zone or quarterbacking the offensive play at the top of it. His shot isn’t much different as he simply whips the puck toward the net, getting a rare goal with the proper screen but usually seeing the shot blocked, which can turn into an assist if a teammate jumps on the puck first.
While he is a big player, he’s not a physically imposing one who crushes forwards, but prefers to use his stick to check and contain them. He could very easily staple his man to the glass and skate away with the puck, but he prefers to play a more skilled brand of defence. That doesn’t always work as intended with a lack of coordination, especially against shifty offensive players with better hand skills, and the quality of the opposition is only going to increase as he advances through the ranks.
Rankings
Elite Prospects: #11
FC Hockey: #16
Hockey Prospect: #8
McKeen’s: #9
Bob McKenzie (TSN): #11
Corey Pronman (The Athletic): #16
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): #7
Projection
At his current ability, Mrtka projects as a shutdown defenceman who can limit opponents on the rush and defend the front of the net. Thanks to his reach, he can steal the puck from opponents in his own zone and start the breakout up the ice.
If he adds a more physical element to his game, he could become a real menace on defence that opponents actively avoid in board battles. That would help him overcome the drop in effectiveness of his stick checks that’s he’s no doubt going to experience when he’s ready to play in the NHL. Should he gain more coordination he would become a better puck-handler, not just swinging the puck from one side of his range to the other but shielding off checks as he moves the puck toward the offensive zone. If he can add more deception to his passing game he could catch defenders and goalies off-guard with a less-obvious pass than the ones he currently makes. With improved shot mechanics and adding some quick moves to beat the coverage, he could get more shots directly onto the target and become a more dangerous offensive player.
That is a lot of ifs for a player as highly regarded as Mrtka in this draft, projected by some to be a top-10 pick and ranked no lower than 16th in any of the outlets included. The prevailing thinking is that if these improvements do materialize, then such a high selection will have been warranted. It’s entirely possible that these developments never occur, and the best he can manage is to improve his current level enough to be a steady defensive player in the NHL.
It would be a big gamble for teams that need to hit on a high selection this year to improve their prospect pool, perhaps one they wouldn’t take if Mrtka were a few inches shorter. If he does reach the potential that scouts dream about when looking at his physical stature, he could end up being a key part of a franchise’s future. If he doesn’t, then the organization may get reminded of other prospects taken in the same range of the draft who did reach their projections.
