Karel Plasek: The Skinny on the Canucks’ Skinniest Prospect

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Scour the internet and you will find unanimity that Karel Plasek weighs 154 lbs. Watch him play and your eyes tell you he is now closer to 170 or 175 lbs. He is also listed at 5’11” but your vision says he has grown to be about 6’1”. It appears the Canucks may have found another viable dark horse future NHL player in the late rounds of the NHL draft following a filling out and growth spurt.

Plasek was taken 175th overall in the 6th round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft which meant that after draft day you were unlikely to ever hear about him again. He has high level hockey DNA though and as a result until this season in the Czech Republic he was referred to as Karel Plasek Jr. His dad finally retired from playing at various levels in the Czech hockey leagues last season at the age of 45 after starting his career during the 1990/91 season. His father’s listed height and weight are 5’11” 183 lbs. so Jr. is likely to fill out some more yet.

He has at age 19 already secured a roster spot on a team in the top Czech league. He has played mostly on the second line next to former Montreal Canadiens veteran NHLer Tomas Plekanec. So far his pro production has been minimal on the scoresheet but he shined recently at a 4 Nations U20 junior tournament playing on his country’s team scoring 1 goal and adding 2 assists for 3 points in 3 games played. He clearly stood out as one of the best players in the tournament.

When you watch Plasek play you see a player who can skate like the wind and has a nose for the net. He is a very good passer and has an accurate shot. He thinks the game well and as he gets accustomed to his increased height and weight he has the potential to become an impactful offensive player.

Canucks’ fans are beginning to gear up for the start of the 2020 World Junior Championship tournament which starts on Boxing Day excited to see the likes of prospects Podkolzin, Woo, Focht, Hoglander and Utunen suit up for their respective countries. This year the tournament is hosted by the Czech Republic. It would not surprise me if Karel Plasek steals the Canucks’ prospect show as the tournament unfolds.