The Panthers like what they've seen from 2004 first-round pick Rostislav Olesz.

Olesz tops Panthers' prospects
By John McGourty | NHL.com
Aug. 25, 2005

Not every prospect is the same and the paths to the NHL are a divergent lot. That's the case for the Florida Panthers where several players are on a faster track to the NHL than others.

One prospect with a good chance of making the Panthers this fall is Czech center Rostislav Olesz, the seventh overall selection in the 2004 Entry Draft. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder might have been better served playing North American juniors in 2004-05. He moved up to the top Czech league, but had to fight for ice time on a team that included Jan Hlavac, David Vyborny, Martin Havlat and Petr Nedved.

Olesz gets great marks for intelligence and on-ice awareness. He hasn't grown into his adult weight and that will improve. Doubters point to his low scoring totals -- he has only 13 goals in his last three seasons. Critics say he should shoot more and pass less. He has a strong lower body that makes him hard to knock off the puck.

"Rostislav is a talented young player with a bright future," General Manager Mike Keenan said. "He is a skilled forward with good size for his age. We look for him to come to training camp ready to compete for a spot on our roster."

"We had him over to our development camp this summer and we saw him at the World Juniors last year," Director of Hockey Operations Jack Birch said. "Mike Keenan saw him with Sparta Praha last year. He thinks Olesz is a bona fide NHL future player. He's not yet a front-line Player, but he's going to be very serviceable at both ends of the ice. He played in the Czech Elite League and spent some time with the national team. They brought him to the Sweden games before the World Juniors. That indicates they recognize him as a future player with their national teams."

Birch said the Panthers were not dismayed by his low scoring totals last season.

"Remember, he's a 19-year-old playing in an elite men's league," Birch said. "I would suggest that his numbers at the World Juniors, where he had seven goals and three assists in seven games, are more representative than his six goals and seven assists in 47 Czech Elite League games. He was captain of the Czech World Junior team and gave a dominant performance. That indicates to us that he's a pretty good player. His physical presence jumps out at you. He's a physically strong, mature player with decent hands who sees the ice well and competes really well. He looks like a pro."

Nutrition and conditioning will be the key words for the Florida Panthers' prospects this season., approaching his first season in that role, appreciates the skills of most his top prospects, but finds that many of them are not strong enough to express those skills.

"We have several players that I suspect will not be strong enough to make this team this year and who will require at least another year in the American Hockey League," Birch said.

Birch indicated that Anthony Stewart, the right wing the Panthers took 25th overall in 2004, is beginning to understand the demands of the professional athlete's life. Stewart has been carrying a good bit of heft -- 225 pounds -- on his 6-foot-1 frame. He was a big scorer throughout his three seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs, but he'll have to get fitter to succeed in the NHL, Birch said. The good part is that it appears he is doing that.

"Anthony needs to be a little bit more disciplined in his approach to getting ready for the game," Birch said. "His weight has been an issue for him, but he's showing us he's going to come to training camp in the best shape of his life. It's the only thing holding him back. He's big, he's strong, he shoots the puck well and his skating is not an issue. He has all the attributes to be a player. He may not be as creative as Olesz, but he's a good player."

The Panthers would like to see Anthony Stewart shed some weight before training camp.

Some think Stewart began a psychological turnaround when he was "dissed" by Canadian coach Brent Sutter on the World Junior team. Stewart expected a starting role, but Sutter worked him hard and then went with others. Stewart got more playing time later in the tournament and scored an important goal. Birch made a comment that strongly hints at an important reason the Panthers signed one of their free agents.

"When you carry that much weight, it comes across as a little slow-footed," Birch said. "He let himself get heavy and it affected his play. He's a kid who hasn't been around the pros yet. He hasn't been introduced to the game by a guy like Gary Roberts. Gary was the same way playing major junior in Guelph. And he was nowhere near the kind of player he is today. It takes an attitude from a professional point of view to get ready to play in the NHL. The ones who want to play get it eventually."

Stefan Meyer was once thought to be too slow and skinny to progress in hockey. But he posted 34 goals and 41 assists two years ago for Swift Current, then led his team and finished eighth in Western Hockey League scoring last season with 34 goals and 43 assists. He has improved as he has bulked up. Birch said he could use some additional weight. He's eligible for an over-age season in the WHL, but Birch expects he'll play in the AHL this season.

"This kid has the attributes to be a good hockey player," Birch said. "He's smart and has good skills. He needs to fill out physically because a lack of strength has been holding him back. He will continue to be indoctrinated in what it takes to play at the next level and I expect he will play in the AHL."

Birch said he viewed Meyer's 50 percent increase in penalty minutes -- to 104 -- as a good thing.

The Panthers believe Meyer has all the skills to be a good NHL player.

"He's a gamer. When you are a point producer, people run at you. He doesn't take it. He whacks back so he established that part of the game to create the space he needs to get his 35 goals. I'd sooner see him whacking back than taking it and not producing points."

Goalie David Shantz was the Canadian Hockey League's rookie goalie of the year two years ago when he led the Mississagua IceDogs to the Eastern conference championship of the Ontario Hockey League. But Shantz got caught up in the IceDog's problems this season when he lost 15 of 22 games and was benched in January. Coach Greg Gilbert went with Michael Ouzas who posted a mark of 24-11-9 with a 2.18 goals-against average and .926 save percentage compared to Shantz's 10-11-3, 2.83 and .909. Shantz was traded in June to Peterborough.

It's clear Birch thinks Shantz needs to listen and learn.

"Greg Gilbert is a good friend and I have a great deal of respect for how he approaches the game," Birch said. "David came back with the idea he was a big pick and I don't think he dedicated himself toward playing last year. All of a sudden, he fell out of grace with the coach. Another kid came in and the coach liked the way he played. It's hard to get out of the role of mopping up. Hopefully, a change of scenery will help him.

"So, this year was a wake-up call. Getting drafted is easy, getting ready is the hard part. His new coach, Dick Todd, usually puts a good team on the ice. They really improved this year. David has time to prove himself. He needs to get into the best shape he can -- there's no more Gump Worsleys in this league -- and admit he had an opportunity and blew it."

Florida wants to see Shantz embrace his chance with the Peterborough Petes.

Right wing Rob Globke was taken in the second round in 2002, right after his sophomore season at Notre Dame University. He played four years for the Fighting Irish before his first pro season last year. Globke had six goals and six assists in 63 games with the AHL San Antonio Rampage and eight goals and four assists in 10 games with the ECHL Texas Wildcatters. Think rattling boards and open-ice hits when you think of Globke, a good skater at 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds.

"Rob has an upside. He's a big strong right wing who is a good skater," Birch said. "He has all the skill sets to be a good player in the NHL. Think of guys like Mike Knuble and Brad Isbister. He's headed in that direction. He needed to learn the difference between the college game and the pro game and I think he did. He showed his talent level is above the ECHL. I assume he'll make the step to solid AHL player this season. He just needs to learn the game a little bit more."

The NHL scouts have been aware of center Kamil Kreps' skating and playmaking skills for a long, long time but, like Kreps, they're waiting for his physical development to catch up. He's reed-thin at 6-foot-2 and 189 pounds. He didn't improve on his scoring totals in his third year of juniors and he struggled last season with the Rampage before being sent down to the Wildcatters. Like Globke, he's above that level, posting five goals and six assists in 12 games. He was smart enough to come over and play North American juniors, but his mere 45 penalty minutes in three seasons indicate he didn't take to the rough 'n tumble of Canadian hockey.

"Kamil has the skill set to be a really good player, but he's another guy lacking in strength," Birch said. "He's smart enough, he can shoot the puck and he has good hands. But he doesn't have the strength to go up against front-line centers on other teams. He needs to get that. As a result, he plays on the outside when he should be inside. It's a matter of him making himself a man. His attitude at development camp was excellent. He knows what he has to do. He needs at least another season in the AHL, if only to continue working on his strength."

In the Pavel Bure trade with the Rangers, Florida received defenseman Filip Novak and the pick they used to select Globke. Novak is an offensive defenseman who opened a lot of eyes at the 2002 World Junior Championship. He was a standout for the Regina Pats and was named an AHL 2002-03 All-Star and a member of the All-Rookie team. But he suffered a broken ankle near the end of that season and missed the entire following season. He returned last year and posted greatly reduced numbers, but was named the Rampage's top defenseman. The new NHL rules should work to his advantage.

"It was January or February of last year before he really felt comfortable with his ankle," Birch said. "He has the skill set to be a very good offensive defenseman. He can do things a lot of guys can't do. He probably needs another full year of recovery before he's ready for the NHL. You look at our depth chart and he's probably eighth or ninth, so a couple of injuries and he could be here sooner. He has to show us that his play from last February on is the way he'll play right from training camp this year."