Yesterday, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan profiled Red Wings goaltending prospect Michal Orsulak, a 2026 draft pick, and, this morning, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff offers more information regarding Orsulak’s pedigree:
His list of accomplishments also included helping Czechia win a silver medal at the World Junior Championships. Some teams had Orsulak ranked as high as second among the draft-eligible goalies.
The Red Wings saw him often because they were scouting defenseman Justice Christensen who was Orsulak’s Prince Albert teammate. They ended up signing Christensen for their Grand Rapids affiliate.
“We had a lot of eyes on (Orsulak) and we’re able to watch him play a lot,” Draper said. “And just watching the size, the compete, the way he moves, we just felt that, with where we were in the draft, we felt it was a real good pick.”
Orsulak is a particularly large netminder, and he catches with his right hand…
Orsaluk is 6-foot-4, 228 pounds and owned a 28-4-4 record for Prince Albert. “I think I’m an athletic goalie,” Orsaluk said. . . Every goalie is different. But if I see like myself like for the NHL I compare like most to the (Yaroslav) Askarov. “
Czech goalies are hot in the hockey world, including with the Red Wings who grew to love Michal Postava this season in Grand Rapids.
“I think we don’t do it (like) robots,” Orsulak said. “Different styles. Everything different than the other countries. We have many goalie coaches. . . we have a good system in Czech.”
And you may take this for what you will:
NHL scouts often view goalies differently. Sometimes they disagree on their potential. Red Line, an independent scouting review that has been around for decades, listed Orsulak as the draft’s most overrated player. RLR ranked Orsulak 215th. Wrote the publication: “Overweight, slow and not clutch.”
