Vaclav Nestrasil (RW, R, 6’5″, 190, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 04/06/2007, UMass Amherst)
Vaclav Nestrasil is a skilled and confident right-shot winger with plus-NHL size and a well-rounded offensive toolkit. At 6’5″, 190 pounds, Nestrasil combines his physical presence with smooth skating, strong puck control, and creativity to generate offense for his team. While his game has significant upside, particularly as a playmaker and puck protector, areas such as strength, consistency in puck battles, and defensive reliability must improve for him to reach his full NHL potential. He projects as a power forward with skill who has the potential to develop into a top-six NHL winger.
Strengths
Puck Control and Vision:
Nestrasil uses his large frame to shield the puck effectively in tight areas and along the boards.
His ability to thread the needle with passes, including backdoor feeds and cross-ice setups, highlights his game processing, vision and hockey sense.
Skating and Mobility:
Despite his towering frame, Nestrasil has a smooth stride that allows him to accelerate effectively, particularly in transition.
His long stride indicates he will gain quickness, speed and agility as he gains strength, explosiveness and power.
Offensive Creativity:
Nestrasil consistently makes confident and creative plays, often opting for high-risk, high-reward decisions that result in quality scoring chances.
He averages 1.58 grade “A” scoring opportunities per game and contributes both as a scorer and a playmaker.
Skill in Tight Spaces:
Nestrasil possesses hands typically seen on smaller, highly skilled forwards. He excels at making quick, small-area plays and creating space for himself and teammates.
Forechecking and Anticipation:
Nestrasil excels at reading the play, anticipating opposing breakouts, and intercepting pucks behind the net or along the boards.
His size and reach allow him to disrupt plays effectively, making him a strong presence on the forecheck, and potentially the penalty kill at higher levels.
Areas for Improvement
Strength and Core Stability:
Nestrasil engages in 15 puck battles per game but wins only 45%. As he develops more lower body and core strength, his ability to win puck battles and dominate physically will improve.
Shooting Efficiency:
With a scoring rate of 16% on grade “A” scoring chances, Nestrasil needs to continue developing his shot accuracy and add deception to his release.
Developing a quicker and more varied release will make him a greater scoring threat, especially at higher levels.
Consistency and Defensive Effort:
Nestrasil’s defensive play, while adequate in anticipation and positioning, can lack physicality and he can be caught puck watching at times.
Increasing his shift to shift intensity and improving his decision-making in the defensive zone will enhance his reliability.
Passing Precision and Turnovers:
While he completes 86% of his passes, his giveaways (4.3 per game) reflect moments of forced or over-ambitious plays.
Simplifying his decisions in certain situations will help reduce turnovers and improve his overall effectiveness.
Drawing Penalties and Physical Presence:
Nestrasil currently draws 0.22 penalties per game. Learning to use his frame more effectively to drive to the net and through contact will help him generate more power-play opportunities for his team.
Projection
We currently have Nestrasil projected as a late-first to early-second round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. His blend of size, skill, and offensive creativity gives him the potential to develop into a middle-six NHL winger who can contribute on both the power play and in transition. With proper development and physical maturation, Nestrasil has the ceiling to be a dynamic offensive player capable of driving possession and creating chances for himself and his linemates.
Player Comparison
Alexei Protas: Similar to Protas, Nestrasil combines a large frame with strong puck-handling skills, vision, and offensive creativity. Both players can leverage their size to protect the puck and excel in playmaking roles, though Nestrasil will need to continue developing his finishing and adding strength to reach this level.
Key Development Goals
Build Strength and Physicality: Focus on core and lower body strength to improve puck battles and net-front presence.
Improve Shot and Scoring Efficiency: Refine shot mechanics and add release variations to increase goal-scoring consistency.
Reduce Turnovers: Simplify decision-making under pressure to limit giveaways and enhance playmaking efficiency.
Increase Defensive Engagement: Emphasize physicality and positioning in the defensive zone to complement his strong anticipation skills.
Expand Offensive Role: Use his size and skating to drive to the net more often and draw penalties by powering through contact.
Final Assessment
Nestrasil is an intriguing prospect with an ideal combination of size, skating ability, and offensive upside. While he currently excels as a playmaker and forechecker, his game will benefit significantly from improved strength, scoring efficiency, and defensive consistency. With the right development path and conditioning, Nestrasil has the potential to develop into a middle-six NHL forward who can be deployed in high-pressure situations and contribute effectively at both ends of the ice.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images