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Tomas
Pobezal
Player Profile
Position
Center
Team
HK Nitra
League
slovakia
Height
5'10"
Weight
168 lbs
Place of Birth
Puchov, SVK  

Pobezal is a two-way, reliable, highly intelligent forward who can play all three positions effectively. He has the speed and tenacity to be a feared forechecker, competes hard every shift, and is already a highly efficient defensive player at the professional level for his age. What impresses me most about his game is the mature level at which he plays. He approaches every shift with intention and defensive detail that very few players at his age possess. He excels at reading lanes, stealing pucks in the neutral zone, capitalizing on defenders’ mistakes during breakouts, and penalty killing. From numerous viewings of Pobezal and other forwards over the past year and a half, he may be one of the best penalty-killing forwards in this draft class. While his ceiling is not particularly high and his lack of size might be a concern, Pobezal consistently competes hard, even against one of the best-structured teams in the league. He battles for loose pucks, engages defenders around the net and along the boards, and wins many of those small battles. He is unafraid to get involved in scrums and off-the-puck confrontations, showing a fire and determination that is encouraging to see. In this game, he recorded a primary assist by reading the breakout, aggressively engaging a player in the neutral zone to strip the puck, and creating a net-front presence that allowed his defender to score. His penalty killing was another standout aspect, with an aggressive and detailed approach that generated significant defensive pressure, including poking pucks out of the zone multiple times. Offensively, he had a few shot attempts, though none seriously challenged the goaltender. Overall, it was another strong performance from Pobezal, which he needed following a less-than-impressive showing at the World Juniors. He is a player I truly enjoy watching, and in limited interactions, he has proven to be an excellent teammate and a genuine leader both on and off the ice. Pobezal projects as an ideal third-line NHL winger who plays hard, excels in all situations, and uses his speed and high IQ to be an effective shutdown player. While it’s unclear where he will land in the 2025 draft, if he falls outside the second round, some team will be getting a steal. The early second round seems to be a realistic sweet spot for a player of his type.

Samuel Tirpák
Scout Profile

Game Results

January 21, 2025
Nitra
2
Kosice
3

Player Report

Skating 7
Shooting 6
Puckhandling 5
Playmaking 5
Offensive Awareness 5
Defensive Awareness 6
Compete 7

Tomas Pobezal's Reports

Jan 26/25 Tomas Pobezal 26523 – Nitra vs. Kosice SLOVAKIA by Samuel Tirpák View Summary
Jan 1/25 Tomas Pobezal 26436 – Slovakia vs. Kazakhstan WJC-20 by Samuel Tirpák View Summary
Jan 1/25 Tomas Pobezal 26432 – Czechia vs. Slovakia WJC-20 by Jacob Roth View Summary
Dec 27/24 Tomas Pobezal 26374 – Slovakia vs. Sweden WJC-20 by Samuel Tirpák View Summary
Nov 18/24 Tomas Pobezal 26278 – Czechia vs. Slovakia 5NAT-U20 by Greysen Goudy View Summary
Oct 15/24 Tomas Pobezal 26204 – Nitra vs. Trencin SLOVAKIA by Samuel Tirpák View Summary
Apr 29/24 Tomas Pobezal 25858 – Slovakia vs. Finland WJC-18 by Samuel Tirpák View Summary