| Brandon Svoboda | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | R | F | 6’3″ | 212 | Boston University | 2024 | State College, PA | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
USHL: Youngstown vs Waterloo, December 31, 2022: Svoboda totaled 10:21 in ice time. He did not play on the power play and played 0:05 while shorthanded. His combination of smooth skating, easy touch and size make him a very intriguing NHL prospect. His skating was excellent and we feel the consistency of his shifts has improved since early in the season. There were times when he would win a defensive zone face-off cleanly, but his defensemen would bobble the puck and end up flipping the puck to the neutral zone. And while this was happening Svoboda would read the play to show the speed to fly by everyone on the ice to apply serious F1 pressure in the neutral zone. He finished the game -1 on play that originated from a lost offensive zone face-off. On the play his strongside defenseman pinched and Svoboda got caught standing still below the puck which allowed Waterloo to go on a full ice 2v1. On the night he went 7/15 on face-offs, had 1 hit, had 4 giveaways, 3 takeaways and he won 60% of his puck battles,
USHL: Youngstown vs Muskegon, December 17, 2022: Svoboda totaled 11:49 in ice time including 0:43 while shorthanded. He did not play on the power play. He had a secondary helper after extending offensive zone cycling by using his speed to get in as the F1 on the forecheck, his strength to separate his man from the puck and his puck protection skills to carry the puck behind the net while the Muskegon player was on his back. This 10 second bust is the type of high effort shift that NHL organizations are wanting to see on a shift by shift consistent basis. Well tonight we feel he brought that type of effort. He applied consistent back pressure using his speed to pop sticks for turnovers. During physical confrontations we liked how Svoboda lowered his skating base to stride right through the contact. He finished the game +1, with 0 shots, went 4/8 on face-offs, 0 hits, 2 giveaways, 6 takeaways and he won 67% of his 12 puck battles.
USHL American Cup: Youngstown vs Green Bay, December 2, 2022: Svoboda’s game comes and goes in shifts and periods. He has the size, puck skills and shot although he goes through long streaks of being quiet offensively. He was placed for consecutive nights between two NHL draft picks yet in this game he was pretty inactive in creating scoring chances.
USHL American Cup: Youngstown vs Green Bay, December 1, 2022: Statistical Game Report: 12:36 TOI, 0:26 PKTOI, 1 Goal, +2, 1 SOG, 1 Grade “A”, 2 PIMs, 2/9 Face-offs, 1 Hit, 3 Giveaways, 1 Takeaway and 100% puck battles won. Svoboda’s game came and went in this one. He showed some flashes of offensive instincts and then periods like early on in the game were he was unnoticeable. In the 2nd period he made good setup pass on 2v1 with #8 Whitelaw for scoring chance. He scored late in the 2nd period after taking a penalty earlier as came out of box, gained puck possession at offensive blue line and went in 2v1, holding the puck, then shooting far side low for the goal.
USHK Showcase, November 15, 2022: Svoboda is a 6’3′ power forward out of Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program where he is coming off a point per game season with the U16’s. He has a rare skill set given his size soft set of hands and his goal scoring ability but as a first year junior player he’s learning how to play against bigger faster older competition. He didn’t play in the first game and only saw limited minutes in the second game but showed enough to earn him a spot on NHL Central Scouting preliminary list as a ‘C’ grade. With that being said he’s got a ways to go; particularly in his stride and his quickness/agility where he’s slow to get his feet under him and struggled in transition and change of direction. He protected the puck well along the boards and showed he can drive the net and power through body contact but the pace of play overwhelmed him a bit and looked to be trying to keep up instead of trying to make plays. He caught a wobbly pass clean and he picked a loose puck off the wall clean with no effort showing he has naturally gifted set of hands and uses his reach to his advantage to shield the puck but both footwork and mentally will need to learn to adapt to this level of play particularly the speed in which it’s played at. High ceiling prospect with longer term upside but raw at the moment and will need more time in the league and more experience. Grade: LV
U16: USA Hockey National Championships, April 15, 2022: Svoboda is a smooth, silky, long playmaking center that controls the puck on a string and can make things happen from anywhere on the ice. He acts as a facilitator in the offensive zone and can find tight seams and windows to move pucks through and get them right on the money each time. Svoboda can dangle with the best of them and has elite hands for a player of his size. He also has the ability to use his powerful stride and dash past defenders to the outside or use his frame to hold pucks outside and drive his way to the net. Out of the corner, he can dance his way to the net or dish it off and find a soft area or use his strength to make his way to the cage. In the offensive zone, the plays typically run through Brandon as he is in total control every time he is on the ice. He was able to retrieve all types of passes and continuously corralled bouncing pucks or passes to his feet to get them right up to his stick and do something. When Svoboda carries the puck up ice, he does so with such momentum and can knife through all types of contact and sticks. He sends accurate, beautiful sauce in tight or cross ice and it always lands flat on the money. Svoboda was part of a potent top line for the Pens and ended the week with 1 goal and 3 assists in 3 games for a solid overall performance. GRADE: A-
U16: Pens Elite vs BK Selects, 1/14/2022: The right-handed forward drew a penalty in the 1st period, to put the team up 5v3 power-play. Svoboda showed good hands and offensive instincts. His initial feet could be quicker and needs to fight through checks better for the next level, although Svoboda does have promising potential. He scored 3rd period goal early, off rush with #11 Stupka & #33 Malboeuf, quick shot open net from dot. Grade: B+
U16: Pens Elite vs LI Gulls, January 16, 2022: Svoboda is the forward that paces the Pens U16 team. He made a play and nice pass down the wing early in 3rd period as made pass right on stick of #79 Tess who was going to the net for 1st goal. It was a shift that displayed Svoboda’s speed when he got going on an offensive drive. This was a tough game overall for his team, although a more consistent drive from Svoboda would be helpful in the development of his game. Grade: B
U16: Northeast Pack: December 14, 2021:
Svoboda was hit and miss all weekend. But it showed that he has leadership qualities that he may not realize yet. Because when he was off his game, a team was marking him hard, or the puck just wasn’t bouncing his way, then the whole team just couldn’t get going. But when he’s on and brings his “A Game” and playing up to his capabilities, then the team dynamic followed and raised their game too. Svoboda a moments of brilliance though. In these moments he was hard on the backcheck, using his long and powerful stride to track down players. Once he catches them, he was hard on sticks, lifting sticks, and picking pockets. In the defensive zone, when he supports down low his team wins more battles, spends less time in their own zone, and exits quickly and with efficiency. Because Svoboda has a quick stick, is strong, is an excellent skater, and can read plays, his support down low to regain puck possession just makes defensive play much smoother for his team. Once they gain control and he gets the puck he showed he has the ability to escape, beat 2-3 players up ice with the puck. And without the puck, he forces opponents to create a buffer or stick with him, which then opens up space for his teammates to get up ice with the puck. Svoboda was even seen once laying down and blocking a shot while in the crease when his goalie was down and out. That big block really gave his team a boost. While Svoboda is typically a passer, drawing opponents to him to open up lanes for his teammates, he has several shooting chances throughout the weekend. And some of those chances he showcased his quick release shot. In traffic and stride, Svoboda does have the ability to get his shot off quickly and with authority. Grade: B-
U16: Northeast Pack Bridgewater Showcase, October 29, 2021: The BU Commit is the total package. He’s big, strong, skates extremely well and can absolutely fire the puck. He showed a quick release on his shot and can pick corners when in good shooting areas and then smartly shoots for rebounds when shooting from low percentage angles. He had a smooth stride and was very balanced on his edges. He didn’t show game breaking speed but has good overall speed. He slowed the game down at times and allowed things to open up in order to make high end plays. With the puck on his stick he showed little shimmy shakes with the head and shoulders to fake out the defenseman and showed a smooth set of hands. He only picked up a few points on the weekend but was making plays left and right. Brandon’s an extremely dynamic player. Grade: A
U16: Pens Elite Showcase, October 14, 2021: Svoboda is a tall, long, highly skilled forward with slick, soft hands and playmaking ability. Brandon has tremendous size and is equipped with deceiving speed and quickness. He dashes up the ice with possession and carries it with a momentum that was impossible for defenders to slow down. He is able to navigate his way through traffic unfazed in all zones effortlessly almost nonchalant but was in total control the whole time and would find the open ice. Svoboda attacked quickly on the rush and with great variety as he could dangle around defenders, burst passed them with speed or pull up and send an accurate pass on a dime to an open teammate. 1 on 1 he proved to be a dangerous threat as he would dance around the opposition from the corners and carry the puck to the net while also using his big frame to hold attackers off. He has soft hands as he was saucing pucks over sticks to his line mates tape all weekend and was able to fire passes through the house for great scoring opportunities. His edgework and frame allow him to break away from defenders and create separation to make a play. Brandon has a quick, accurate release and changes the blade angle as he can pull or push pucks to create a clean path to the net. As much of a threat form the outside that Brandon can be he also will drive the net and battle at the net front to create screens and disrupt the goaltender. Svoboda consistently generated dangerous offensive chances and was a handful for the opposition to have to deal with. GRADE: A
2005s: USA Hockey Select 16s, August 12, 2021: Brandon is big and very balanced on his blades. He showed he could make plays in space. He dragged and shot and also used soft hands to catch and shoot as well as make quick passes. We noted he is playing harder away from the puck than in previous viewings but must add more burst. That should come as big players this age can take longer. He showed here he is more than a goal scorer as he made several clever passes to put teammates in spots to score. He delayed with possession and allowed lanes to open to either rip shots or pass it off. He struggled a bit to finish but hit a couple posts. Brandon was an NTDP camp invite but this was not his best showing. He is a very good player who had an average week. Grade: B
2005s: USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp, May 23, 2021: Svoboda is a hybrid power and skill forward out of Pittsburgh coming off an “A-” grade at U15 USA Hockey Nationals. He’s strong on his skates and on his stick, he made plays in traffic here and got to the net front and set screens and got his stick on pucks in tight. He has soft hands and great first touches especially for a power forward and he’s both patient and sturdy in the tight areas and around the net front. He protects pucks very well, he can handle hard passes, wobbly pucks and passes behind him or in his skate and creates space for himself away from the puck to get open for his teammates. Svoboda worked a few give and gos through the neutral zone and below the dots showing an ability to move the puck and then get open to get it back and he has deceptive speed carrying the puck up ice once his feet are under him. He finished the camp with a nice wrister goal upstairs from just below the faceoff dot which was nice to see as he was a bit snake bitten here. While we noted his first step quickness and stride mechanics were a work in progress at nationals; the up and down nature of this camp exposed that even more. He was behind plays, he couldn’t win races to pucks and the pace of play was a challenge not just on his feet but on his whole game. He used his size and strength to win pucks along the boards and take it to the net but he didn’t assert himself physically as much as you’d like to see for his style of play, he had several opportunities that he couldn’t finish and he overexposed the puck too often. Grade: B-. The Case For: Svoboda may not have had his best performance here but the style of play doesn’t suit his game which is a fair excuse. He is big and strong, he’s tough to knock off the puck, he’s got a protection game that is very advanced for his age and a scorer’s touch. What he brings to the team is needed, size, strength and a protection forward and his ability to handle the puck and clean first touches is a rare skill set for his size and style of play. If the only thing holding him back here was his explosiveness and pace of play then imagine how good he could be after a year with the development program to improve his technique and get some gym time before entering his draft year? Pretty sure power forwards with size who can score and handle the puck are at a premium in the NHL draft. The Case Against: Like we said with a few others; if he wasn’t in the top 12 entering camp than he didn’t do anything to jump the line with his play here. He struggled with the pace of play in camp against 15 year olds and that will only ratchet up from here at the next level. He’s stronger than his opponents here and that advantage will be neutralized at the next level against older and bigger competition and he wasn’t tough to play against. He did move well and show some sense in getting open for his teammates but the other argument is he was waiting too often to get the puck instead of going to get it and create for himself. A high ceiling but just too raw at this point.
U15: USA Hockey National Championships, May 18, 2021: Svoboda is a rare combination of size and skill. He has a powerful stride and bounces off contact and has a strong but fluid stick where he can stickhandle his way out of jams and make defenders miss. Not many players this size and this age can handle the puck the way Svoboda can but what makes him even more special is that he doesn’t rely on his skill; he’s got an equally effective power game to go wide, protect the puck and get pucks to the net. He created offensive chances in every situation; he caused turnovers and created scoring chances off broken plays, we walked defenders off the wall on the cycle, he came down up the wing with speed and attacked the net with hard release or slick passes to his teammates and he created on the power play showing his passing touch and powerful release. He’s got the hockey IQ to read the situation and knows when he’s got numbers and how to attack and when he doesn’t and would take pucks deep in the zone, protect it and wait for reinforcements. When he had numbers he knew which guy was open and how the different plays he made would impact that spacing; if he drove the net it would open up a high guy for a drop pass, if he dished it he’d potentially open up himself to get it back, etc. He’s not just a random up and down power/skill forward, he thinks the game, he’s got impressive puck skill and touch and was consistently making plays. Svoboda could play with pace and go north-south and win pucks or he can slow it down, make smart reads and be a passing and shooting threat. A two-way center, Svoboda proved to win draws, covering his net front in the defensive zone while supporting the puck on the breakout. A natural scorer, Svoboda is able to change the angle with subtle pull and drag plays and has a rocket release that he gets off instantly. He combines that with soft and slick hands in tight around the cage where he can make quick passes or lift pucks over the pad or buy himself that extra second to allow the goalie to make their move and then put it where they aren’t. Svoboda led the Penguins this season in points with an impressive 25-38-63 line in just 45 games and added another 5 points in 3 games here. He earned a spot on the NTDP Evaluation Camp and while he’s still a bit raw in some areas of his game like his first step quickness and agility; he has a high ceiling and his best hockey is ahead of him. Grade: A-
U15: Pens Elite vs Chicago Mission, January 17, 2021: Good size, good skating and speed. Brandon showed good smarts and vision. On the Penguins first goal of the weekend, Brandon gained the zone on a 3on2. Took his time and space and found Emery on the far side for the goal. Played at a high tempo and created space from himself. Grade B
2005s: International Silver Stick, May 24, 2020: Brandon looked bigger than his listed height and weight. He is around 6’ we would guess. He was dominant here at times. He wanted the puck. He moved to good spots with a long, powerful stride and he is much faster than he appears. When he skates, however, his upper body is still and that is how he is able to see the whole ice, catch bad passes and rip pucks past gals. His vision and poise were unmatched. He also played the goal scorer role. He scored on the power play by attacking a seam and ripping one home. He scored by punching pace, setting up a screen and wristing one low. His net front was excellent. In space, he went skate to blade in full stride and showed wiggle as he moved laterally with ease and a long stickhandle. He is one of the top 2005s right now and has a bright future. He is dynamic and smart, This level is too easy right now for him. Grade: A
U14: USHL Showcase, October 19, 2019: Svoboda was one of the most polished players we saw all week long as a bantam. There were times where he made the game look easy because of how slick he was able to possess and skate with the puck. His athleticism was noteworthy with a very smooth, powerful skating stride that allowed him to generate separation on the rush. He is very confident in his abilities and given his size he is able to be strong on the puck and refuses to let it go. He regularly swooped in from the edge rushing the puck up the wing but he also maintained great vision by keeping his head up looking for opportunities to feed the puck back when defenders would collapse to follow him. He has soft hands when he receives it and he was very smart about what lanes to take: thinking one step ahead so that he would not box himself into a corner. He really showed his value when operating in traffic. He rarely lost the puck to poke checks and he was able to create positive plays every time on the ice because he was thinking one step ahead of the defense: good IQ. Has all the underpinnings of a power forward: keep a close eye on his progress as he looks ready to take a big step forward in the coming seasons. Grade: A
2005s: STX 68 Combine, September 3, 2019: Svoboda has a mature, polished ease to his game. He almost seems like he’s doing everything in slow motion but it’s just his ability to slow the game down and the length at which he operates. He is long and lanky, but very athletic and quick. Excellent skill level and very difficult to remove from the puck. He thinks the game at a high level and just has a different demeanor about him that sets him apart from most of his peers. Very advanced game.
2005s: Mississauga Border Battle, March 29, 2019: High level skill set. Dynamic in transition while operating with the puck along with beating opponents one on one. Plays on the outside though which will be a struggle for him to translate at a higher level. Has a good shot and ability to score. Has a high ceiling, but has to play without the puck.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images