The scouting community expected much of Slovak forward Adam Ruzicka. He has an NHL frame at 6’4″, and his hockey smarts don’t lag far behind.
Most expected that Ruzicka would hit his stride offensively this season, after joining the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting in the second round of the 2016 CHL Import Draft out of HC Pardubice of the Czech Under 20 league. Instead, Ruzicka struggled to make an impact at either end of the ice.
Had Ruzicka hit his stride as so many anticipated, we’d be discussing him as a flag bearer for the Slovakian hockey program, dragging them singlehandedly back into the first-round of the NHL Entry Draft.