Dalibor Dvorsky’s game : In-depth breakdown

Dalibor Dvorsky is a 6’1,201 lbs Slovak forward who has been playing in the Swedish system since he was 14 years old. This year, he has divided his time between the under-20 league and that of the 2nd professional division (the Allsvenskan). It is in this men’s league that he spent most of the season, amassing 14 pts in 45 games (if we include the playoffs).

His first quality is his defensive game. It is possible to present arguments to speak of him as the best defensive forward in the entire draft.

He has the maturity to recognize the importance of holding himself accountable defensively. He cares about the little details, backcheck hard at all times and plays low to support his defenders. One of the things that sets him apart from other players his age in this facet is that Dvorsky is not shy about engaging in physical contact against his opponents.

His sense of anticipation is very strong and, accompanying his reading of the game, he is able to determine which passing option will be chosen by his opponent in more complex situations.

We have a small example here of his defensive intelligence. A 3 against 1 is emerging for the opposing team. Dvorsky backcheck with everything he has in the tank (number 15 in white at the top of the screen).

He recognizes that his keeper can handle the threat of the shot and his defender can cut off the option in the middle.

He will therefore ‘leap’ over the player in the center and he will make the option to the far player inaccessible.

It was hard to take a better screenshot than this to illustrate the rest of the sequence, but the puck-carrier attempted a pass to the player on the far side and Dvorsky stretched his stick and deflected the puck out of the way.

Everywhere on the rink, it is in such small details that we observe the superior intelligence of the Slovak.

For example, during an offensive odd-man rushes, Dvorsky has the center of the ice, but without the puck, it is his winger along the boards who is in possession. The opposing defender is between the two of them and moves towards the puck-carrier. Without causing interference, Dvorsky neutralizes the defender’s stick with his own to give his teammate more leeway.

We have a similar play here. There is a loose puck in the corner of the rink. One of Dvorsky’s wingers goes to retrieve it, but an opposing defender will arrive at the same time as him (Dvorsky is number 15 in black).

From behind, Dvorsky will lift the defender’s stick so that his winger can grab the puck without being poked checked.

Offensively, his game is rather ‘vanilla’. This does not, however, prevent him from bringing certain elements to a high level. It was his shot that drew most praise from observers. 

He has a very good wrist shot which poses a threat to goalkeepers. In conjunction with a very good shot, it takes good scoring instincts and good spatial and situational awareness to maximize this asset. Dvorsky isn’t always the most assertive with the puck in the offensive zone, but he quickly recognizes when there’s a breakdown in defensive coverage and he’ll take the space in front of him to step forward before firing his shot.

A little in the same vein, he also recognizes the flaws in the technique of goalkeepers and will challenge those who cheat by dropping one knee on the ice, aiming for the top of the net, even from more restricted angles. He has the talent to elevate the puck even up close.

His one-timer is also above average and he does a great job of finding free spots on the ice to get open.

Otherwise, he will play a style of game that still requires good physical strength. He likes to work with the puck along the boards, he likes to have an opponent on his back when he goes to the net or goes up along his own blue line in the offensive zone. He demonstrates good confidence in his ability to protect the puck.

He also likes to get in front of the goalkeeper, even at 5 on 5.

It makes you wonder if he doesn’t have another level that he can reach offensively, because he is a very good puck handler.

It is especially in the neutral zone that he demonstrates his best puck handling flashes. The problem is that his skating is not very fast and that he is caught after having beat a first player.

In the offensive zone, there is a lack of creativity. For me, this stems from the mentioned lack of speed. He can’t use shifts or changes in direction, which removes an element of unpredictability from his repertoire.

However, he somehow compensates for the lack of distance he creates from his opponents with a very good puck handling technique where he manages to put a lot of weight on his stick, preventing opportunities where someone could steal the puck from him.

This is also the big question mark with Dvorsky, or at least the factor that could come to limit his offensive ceiling: his skating.

As said before, he gets caught when he carries the puck in the neutral zone, and if he has no pressure coming behind him, he still does not have the speed to challenge the defenders in situation of 1-on-1. At least he has the intelligence to slow down the game to his advantage to wait for teammates support.

What doesn’t help to make this a more optimistic projection is that Dvorsky already appears to be physically mature, posting 201 lbs on a 6’1 frame. Will he be able to add more speed with off-ice training? It remains to be seen.

Longer term, his chances of reaching the NHL are more than certain, but questions surrounding his offensive potential persists.

There was a U-20 tournament this fall where Slovakia faced teams such as Switzerland and Denmark. I watched the games, Shift-by-shift fashion of his compatriot Alex Ciernik. During my viewing, I noticed one of his teammates who offered good flashes. I thought I had found, potentially, a hidden card for the draft. I went to see the score sheet to see that it was Dvorsky. Watching those games without knowing which players were involved, I wouldn’t have been able to say that any of those deserved a top 10 selection in the 2023 draft (place where he was placed quite a bit universally Dvorsky).

He demonstrates qualities of a player who can have a noticeable impact defensively, and to some extent in the neutral zone as well. But offensively, he’s a little too vanilla for my taste.

That being said, for many prospects, we’re only one or two things wrong with our assessment. In Dvorsky’s case, it will be a question of whether he can improve his skating and play bolder offensively.

**End of season addition: He was indeed good at the U-18 tournament but I saw much the same Dvorsky as during the season. He was not necessarily dynamic with the puck in the offensive zone. The production seemed a bit inflated when compared to the play on the ice.