Photo courtesy of Jan Myšák at PublicInsta

Fantasy Summary

Really good vision and puck-handling skills. Not a flashy player but with his hockey sense and good shot, he could be a top-six forward. Capable of playing both center and wing. Needs to improve his skating.


Observations

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March 2024 – Jan Mysak was traded to the Anaheim Ducks today in exchange for 2020 first-round pick Jacob Perreault. Aaron Itovitch
January 2024 – Mysak’s professional career hasn’t been long, but it hasn’t been very impressive to date.  He has struggled to find his footing in the AHL, and on a team full of more enticing prospects, he has found himself fighting for ice time. There is still hope for the 21-year-old, but the steep internal competition isn’t helping him much. Aaron Itovitch
May 2022 – Jan Mysak had a solid if unspectacular season, his first full year in the OHL. The Czech forward did, however, demonstrate the abilities that made him a projected first-round pick in 2020, though he fell to the mid-second round. Mysak’s game is predicated on speed, skill, and intensity, which make him a great fit for the identity the Canadiens organization is striving to forge. He played as a center for most of the season and ranked fourth in the OHL in faceoff percentage among players who took at least 100 draws, with 58.5% and was 15th in the league in faceoff wins. While I still think that Mysak’s game projects best to the wing, due to his speed when attacking the offensive zone along the boards, the faceoff ability and defensive habits he’s developed at center this year will prove valuable in his development. The 64 points he produced in 61 games this year were good for fifth on his powerhouse Hamilton Bulldogs team, trailing behind four undrafted players, including defenseman Nathan Staios, but his 34 goals were tied for second on the team. Mysak can return to the OHL next year, which is likely the best path for his development, as it will offer him an opportunity to dominate and allow him to build on his skilled game. As of right now, Mysak’s ceiling seems to be that of a skilled forechecking third-line winger with 15-18 goal potential, in the mold of Artturi Lehkonen; if he indeed develops into this kind of player, which is no guarantee, the Habs will be very happy with their development of the second-round selection. Sebastian High

December 2021 – Mysak has been on a solid pace in the OHL to start this season with 31 points in 25 games. He will represent his native Czechia for the third time at the World Junior Championship, and was named captain of the team for the second year in a row. Expect him to be relied upon very heavily on both sides of the puck. Pablo Ruiz

 

July 2021 – In a complicated year with different leagues beginning at different times, Mysak struggled to produce. He started the year in the Czech men’s league, where he only managed a single assist in 11 games. He continued his struggles when he came over to North America to play with the Laval Rocket, notching two goals in his first three games, but going pointless for the remaining 19. Despite his lack of production, Mysak did not look out of place in either of the leagues. A more normal season next year will likely allow Mysak to feel more comfortable and the production will come. Pablo Ruiz

 

January 2020 – Mysak has three points in five games as the captain of Team Czech Republic and was named one of the team’s three best players of the tournament. With the OHL still on hold Mysak has been invited to the Laval Rocket training camp. Pablo Ruiz

 

December 2020 – Mysak has been off to a slow start in the Czech league playing against men, where he only has one assist in 11 games. He will have a chance to regain some confidence at the World Junior Championship, where he will be the captain of the Czech Republic team. Pablo Ruiz

 

October 2020 – Mysak was drafted 48th overall by the Canadiens. Mysak will need a couple of years before he’s pushing for an NHL job but it remains to be seen if that happens in Europe or North America.  Jokke Nevalainen

 

April 2020 – Mysak’s arrival in North America went just about as well as it could have. He started his OHL stint with 10 goals in nine games and when the season came to an early end Mysak had registered 25 points in 22 games for the Hamilton Bulldogs. He was able to show off the tools that we saw glimpses of in his native Czech Republic when he played in the men’s pro league there. His shot is lethal and he has some explosion is his game. He finds his teammates well and looked more efficient in his skating stride as the year wore on. He still needs to work on being a bit more efficient with his stride but a noticeable improvement has been made. He thinks the game at a high level and he could find a role in an NHL top-six at some point in the future. He may not be a true line driver but he pushes play in the right direction and he has the skill to be a productive scoring winger. Tony Ferrari

 

January 2020 – After a strong performance at the U20 World Juniors, the 17-year-old has decided to take his talents to Canada. Mysak will spend the rest of the season with Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL. Hamilton drafted him 20th overall in the CHL Import Draft last summer, and after a few months of delay, they are getting the player they wanted.  Jokke Nevalainen

 

July 2019 – At age 16, Mysak played at the pro level in the Extraliga and he showed his offensive skills among men. Litvinov mostly used him as a first or second line center, and he managed to score seven points in 31 regular season games and nine points in six relegation games. He missed two months due to injury but it didn’t slow him down. And when he came back, he was able to immediately play his game. Late in the season, he spent a lot of time on the power play but all in all, 14 of his 16 points were scored at even strength. At the U18 Worlds, he started as the 13th forward which was surprising. But as the tournament progressed, he was getting more ice time and was one of the better Czech players. Mysak has good accuracy and timing on his shot. He also has good vision and puck-handling skills. He has great hockey sense and he can lead his team’s offense. He usually gets himself into good positions without the puck. He has a solid frame for his age. He needs to work on his skating but he has really improved that already during the 2018-2019 season. Mysak is expected to play a similar role for Litvinov in the Extraliga this upcoming season and he has a pretty solid chance to represent Czech Republic at the U20 World Juniors. At this point, he is projected to become a late first round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.  Czech Prospects

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 5.0
NHL Certainty 5.0
Country CZE
Position LW
Roster Type Minors
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth June 24, 2002
Height 6‘0”
Weight 181 lbs
Drafted 2020 Round 2; Overall: 48

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2014-2015 Ustecky kraj U15MMCR6 2 35 0|        
 2015-2016 HC Litvinov U16Czechia U1612 4 37 0|        
  Ustecky kraj U15ODM7 4 48 1|        
 2016-2017 HC Litvinov U16Czechia U1637 57 3289 20|Playoffs3 1 01
  HC Litvinov U18Czechia U184 5 510 0|        
  Ustecky kraj U15MMCR6 10 818 4|        
 2017-2018 HC Litvinov U16Czechia U1612 41 1859 12|Playoffs5 6 511
  HC Litvinov U18Czechia U1836 30 2353 20|        
  HC Litvinov U20Czechia U206 2 68 4|        
  Czechia U16 (all)International-Jr16 8 412 0|        
  Czechia U17 (all)International-Jr1 0 11 0|        
 2018-2019 HC Litvinov U20Czechia U199 13 821 4|        
  Czechia U18 5-Ntn Zuchwil4 1 12 0|        
  HC LitvinovCzechia31 3 47 2|Relegation6 5 49
  Czechia U17WHC-175 1 12 0|        
  Czechia U17 (all)International-Jr12 7 714 6|        
  Czechia U18WJC-185 0 33 0|        
  Czechia U18 (all)International-Jr12 2 57 0|        
 2019-2020 Czechia U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup4 2 02 0|        
  HC Litvinov U20DHL Cup2 1 01 0|        
  HC LitvinovCzechia26 5 49 2|        
  Brantford BulldogsOHL22 15 1025 10|        
  Czechia U18 (all)International-Jr7 3 36 0|        
  Czechia U20WJC-205 1 12 2|        
  Czechia U20 (all)International-Jr10 2 24 2|        
 2020-2021 HC LitvinovCzechia11 0 11 14|        
  Laval RocketAHL22 2 02 0|        
  Czechia EHT2 0 11 0|        
  Czechia U20WJC-205 2 13 0|        
  Czechia U20 (all)International-Jr9 3 47 2|        
  Czechia (all)International2 0 11 0|        
 2021-2022 Brantford BulldogsOHL61 34 3064 6|Playoffs17 4 711
  Brantford BulldogsMemorial Cup5 2 02 0|        
  Czechia U20WJC-207 5 38 0|        
  Czechia U20 (all)International-Jr17 12 820 4|        
  Czechia U20 (all)WJC-20 Cancelled2 1 01 2|        
 2022-2023 Laval RocketAHL40 5 49 8|        
 2023-2024 Laval RocketAHL48 13 720 20|        
  San Diego GullsAHL12 0 00 4|        

Highlights