We are in the 40s of our draft board, and entering the conversation at No. 41 is Czech center Adam Benák.
Benák is one of the smallest players of this draft class, particularly among players projected to be taken in the first couple of rounds. He’s a meager 5-foot-7, 163 pounds, and that’s made Benák quite the polarizing player throughout this draft year.
Benák’s big break as a prospect came in the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where Benák’s 10-point showing gave him the second highest point totals ever for a 16-year-old in the competition. During this tournament and throughout most of his time in Czechia, Benák played down the middle of the ice, mostly due to his extremely high skating ability and hockey IQ. He’s been able to compensate for his size at every level so far, but he struggled a little bit in the USHL after his midseason shift to the Youngstown Phantoms. Benák still put up strong point totals (59 points in 56 games), but his play-driving abilities really diminished. That’s a major concern, and even prompted Youngstown to begin playing Benák on the right wing to relieve him of a center’s responsibilities. There’s a ways to go with Benák, but there’s an intriguing skillset here that’s going to need to continue improving for him to cut it in the NHL.
Pre-draft rankings
No. 37 by The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)
No. 102 by Elite Prospects
No. 39 by TSN (Bob McKenzie)
No. 44 by Daily Faceoff
Bio
DOB: April 10, 2007
Birthplace: Plzen, Czech Republic
Position: Right Wing/Center
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 163 lbs
Shoots: Left
Statistics
What’s there to like?
For a player like Benák to exceed, that player has to show high-end puck skills and almost zero deficiencies in any other area of his game besides his size. For a long time in the development of Benák, scouts raved about Benák’s chances to become that kind of player.
It’s not hard to see why, as offensive creation and skill oozes off of Benák’s stick, making him a fun player to watch over his many years of international competition and development in the Czech junior leagues. Namely, Benák is quite the skater, and moves down the ice and past defenders in an instant. He’s got a real burst of speed, he’s deceptive and quick in changing direction, and isn’t afraid to attack the middle of the ice with regularity. In the clip below, Benák (No. 9) chases after a loose puck in the neutral zone, gaining multiple steps on the defenders before executing a pass into the slot.
The “attacking the middle of the ice” component really came into focus when Youngstown shifted Benák to the wing this season, as they made sure to encourage Benák to skate the puck into dangerous areas on a shift-by-shift basis. By all accounts, Benák made significant strides on this in the USHL, especially once he went through a positional change. There were numerous plays in the second half of the USHL season where Benák took the puck in stride on the rush, cut to the center of the ice, and created a dangerous chance for the Phantoms, like the next play.
Another fun thing about Benák is his relentless motor and work rate. He’s probably in the top-10 of this draft in compete level, and he’s a surprisingly physical small forward. Benák is certainly not afraid to throw a hit, engage in and win battles along the boards, and to park himself in front of the net. That’s really surprising for a player of his stature, and again – it’s a good attribute for Benák to have if he’s going to beat the odds.
Benák has always been known to thrive as a playmaker, with the puck on his stick, and on the rush. He’s a player that not only finds himself with the puck in dangerous areas, but one who continually makes the smart play as well. That combination of hockey IQ and puck skills has really endeared him to a lot of scouts, and made it possible that he breaks the conventional mold as a 5-foot-7 winger in the NHL. He’s going to have to take a few more jumps, but Benák is certainly worth a flyer in the mid-rounds.
What’s not to like?
Honestly, the previous sentence really sums up what’s not to like with Benák. There’s a way to go for Benák to beat the odds as a very small player in the NHL, and one source of improvement is his shot. It’s fine, but Benák isn’t really able to beat goaltenders clean with regularity. He’s crafty, scoring a lot of his goals close-range and with deception, but there isn’t a ton of pure power and range here.
Another area of improvement definitely is Benák’s even strength play, where he can sometimes disappear as a passenger on his line. It’s part of the rationale for why Youngstown moved him from center to wing, so Benák could make more offensive impact in bursts, rather than dragging down the shift-by-shift performance of his line in the middle. Benák has been a bit of a power play merchant throughout the years, and unless Benák proves to be exceptional on the power play in the NHL, he’s going to need to be passable at 5-on-5. The hope is, Benák’s high-end work ethic and puck skills eventually translate into a more consistent shift-by-shift player, and one that an NHL team wants to have in their lineup. We’ll see, but Benák is very much a project pick in the second or third round.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
Organizationally, if the Flyers believe that Benák is a winger, adding Benák would be further increasing the strong quality and depth of the winger position in the organization. More specifically, it would be adding even further to the small winger archetype the Flyers seem to like. There’s already Bobby Brink, Denver Barkey, Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, and potentially Maxim Shabanov in the organization and projected for NHL roles. Benák would add another player of that mold into the mix, so it would be an interesting organizational fit.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Yes. Benák is probably going to linger into the late second or early third round, and the Flyers will have numerous chances to take Benák in the second round if they want to. Small forwards often drop even if they are more around the 5-foot-9 range, let alone at Benák’s 5-foot-7. There’s little doubt in our minds that Benák goes way later than he should in this draft, despite the fact that he’s a very reasonable swing to take in the second or third round. He might not make it to the NHL, but if he does, it’s because his skillset and work ethic increase to a point where Benák’s small frame does not matter. Truly, Benák seems to be top-6 or bust, and the Flyers will have an ability to take on lots of risk with their seven top-50 picks. We’ll see if Benák will be a part of that equation, but we doubt it, considering the Flyers’ bevy of small prospects and players already.
What scouts are saying
“Combining burning speed, high-end vision, and a headiness and maturity beyond his years, Benak has been able to find offensive success at every level he’s played. With 3 assists in 3 playoff games, Benak wrapped up what has been a decently productive season at the USHL level (17 goals and 59 points in 56 games) and a very productive year internationally (7 goals and 24 points in 12 games). Nevertheless, at 5-7 and lacking a consistent defensive game, as well as high-end scoring ability and dynamism, there is reason to question Benak’s path to the NHL.”
—Luke Sweeney, Dobber Prospects
“Benák continues to look more and more comfortable as a pacy creator from the right wing. He provided a pair of assists in this one, cutting inside upon entry far more often and dishing cross-seam pucks. His competitiveness has been irreproachable all year, leaving it all on the ice in all three zones. He’s also evolved into a more deceptive dual-threat, having added power to his release and hinting shot far more often than earlier in the year, opening up playmaking lanes and accessing new playmaking opportunities through shooting for rebounds. A slippery skater along the boards, Benák implemented 10-and-2’s to make defenders bite on drop passes and cutbacks before attacking north. With more diversity in his puck touches and offensive tendencies, he was far less predictable in this game than earlier in the year. Still, his projection hinges on his high motor and under-estimated physicality remaining separating factors as he progresses to the professional ranks as a 5-foot-7 forward. He’s a high-end C-grade on my April board. He’s likely to slip significantly on draft day, but the intensity, smarts, and playmaking skill continued to stand out as some of the best in the whole league in this game.”
—Sebastian High, Elite Prospects Draft Guide (April 11 Game Report)
With Benák leaving, we will bring in our second goaltender into the poll, Russian goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov.
“Andreyanov has outstanding quickness in his lower half. He makes a ton of highlight reel-type saves due to his athleticism, plus his compete level. He never seems like he’s out of a play due to his effort. Andreyanov is also a good technical goalie who can make smooth, efficient saves with good reads. NHL teams’ only concern with him will be his size. He’s a very small goalie by NHL standards, and will need to prove he’s just not very talented, but especially talented to be an NHL goalie. I’ve seen enough flashes of special to think he has a chance to make it.”
—Corey Pronman, The Athletic
