Tomas Cermak (D, L, 6’3″, 191, BK Mlada Boleslav U20, 06/29/2008) Tomas Cermak is a 6’3′, 191-pound left-shot defenseman with pro size and a solid defensive foundation, but unless his pace and puck play take a meaningful step forward I feel he projects as a depth long term developmental project. In 48 U20 games (5-10-15, +13) with brief exposure to the Czech pro league, Cermak plays a low-event, defense-first game (18:05 TOI, 2:15 SHT, minimal PP time), and his strengths lie in his reach, structure, and ability to keep plays in front of him. His 56% puck battle win rate and 86% pass completion show a steady approach, and he limits risk with simple puck play, but he does not drive play offensively (0.47 pre-shot passes/game, just 0.11 scoring chances/game despite a high conversion rate) and he currently lacks creativity and or deception with the puck. His skating is adequate for his size but not a strength and is an area for focused development as his first few steps and overall retrieval pace remain concerns, consistent with past Neutral Zone evaluations around lack of urgency and decision-making under pressure. Defensively, he uses his length effectively and can kill line rushes in the neutral zone, but his physical engagement is inconsistent (0.14 hits/game), and he does not consistently punish opponents despite having NHL-caliber size. He can struggle to make tape-to-tape passes when pressured aggressively, particularly against faster opponents. Overall, Cermak projects as a steady, defensive defenseman, but without improved mobility, quicker processing on retrievals, and more assertiveness physically, I do not see him becoming an NHL player within a 3-5 year window, but with added strength and improved puck play he profiles as a depth, defense-first defenseman I would feel comfortable drafting in the mid to late sixth round.