| STORIES |
- Saturday, June 27, 2009: Triple threat: Ferraro, Tatar and Nestrasil
- Thursday, July 2, 2009: Nestrasil ‘ready to battle every shift’
- Tuesday, November 3, 2009: Nestrasil ahead of the curve
- Tuesday, January 5, 2010: Scoring sensation Smith shines
- Tuesday, February 16, 2010: Prospects seek Memorial Cup glory
- Monday, September 13, 2010: ‘Time to move on’: Ferraro gets fresh start
- Wednesday, January 5, 2011: Big Swede’s production no Joak
- Wednesday, January 12, 2011: Wings in no rush with Nestrasil
- Wednesday, March 23, 2011: Memorial Cup chase begins
|
| AWARDS |
- 2008-09 Top Prospects Game (Team Cherry)
- 2008-09 IIHF world under-18 championship (Czech Republic top three player)
|
| HISTORY |
2007-08:
- Played as a 16-year-old for Slavia at the Czech U-20 level.
- Finished second in team scoring (40-12-16-28, plus-16).
- Selected eighth overall in the CHL import draft by Victoriaville of the QMJHL.
|
2008-09
- Made the jump to North America with Victoriaville of the QMJHL.
- Placed second on his team and fourth among QMJHL rookies in scoring (66-22-35-57).
- Dished out 89 hits, showing willingness to mix it up physically and go into traffic.
- Also converted on 4-of-6 shootout attempts and was plus-2 with 157 shots.
- Finished regular season on a hot streak (11-7-8-15).
- Scored Team Cherry’s only goal in 6-1 loss to Team Orr in CHL Top Prospects Game.
- Led his team in post-season scoring despite first-round loss (4-1-2-3).
- Voted one of Czech Republic’s top three players at world under-18 (6-2-2-4, 29 shots).
- Ranked as a first-rounder by the Red Wings heading into the 2009 draft.
- Red Wings dealt 29th pick for 32nd and 75th picks and took Nestrasil at No. 75.
|
2009-10
- Returned to QMJHL with Victoriaville and got off to good start.
- Among the top 15 league scorers in the first half (31-12-25-37).
- Tied for third in scoring with seventh-place Czech Republic at WJC (6-1-6-7, 17 shots).
- Missed almost three weeks with a groin injury in January and February.
- Victoriaville’s mid-season trades pushed Nestrasil down the depth chart.
- Never really got back to his first-half form with just 11 points in final 14 games.
- Production slipped further in playoffs (12-2-4-6) in semifinal showing.
- Dealt to the P.E.I. Rocket in June as “delayed compensation” for an earlier blockbuster trade.
|
2010-11
- Finished second in scoring for mid-pack P.E.I. (58-19-51-70).
- Also had a plus-13 rating and 160 shots on goal.
- Represented seventh-place Czech Republic at WJC (6-1-2-3, eight shots).
- Averaged more than a point-per-game in a brief playoff showing (5-1-5-6).
- Saved best for final 17 regular-season/playoff games (17-5-19-24).
- Signed three-year entry-level contract with Red Wings just prior to June 1 deadline.
|
2011-12
- Couldn’t stick at AHL level in two months with Grand Rapids at start of season.
- Assigned to ECHL in November and spent four months with Toledo (51-7-22-29, minus-10, 88 shots).
- Called back up to Grand Rapids in March and had just one point in final 14 games.
- Final stats in Grand Rapids were underwhelming (25-3-1-4, minus-4, 24 shots).
|
| SCOUT COMMENTS |
|
“He’s willing to pay the price every shift and he’s ready to battle every shift. He’s a big body, he throws his body around, he never refuses physical contact and he’s always engaged … He’s not a guy you look at and say, ‘He’s going to be a third- or fourth-line guy in the NHL.’ He’s got more skill than that. If he keeps improving his skating, he could be a good offensive player in the NHL.” — Victoriaville Tigres head coach Yanick Jean (June 2009) … “He likes to take the puck to the net. He protects the puck well in the corners and he’s got the hands to do it. He’s got good size and he’s just a good hockey player.” — Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (June 2009).
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| STRENGTHS |
|
Excellent puck control, taking advantage of his ample size and strength … Especially good down low and along the boards … Willing to go into traffic and battle … Flashes good 1-on-1 moves and is used frequently in shootouts … More of a playmaker with impressive vision, particularly on the power play.
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| WEAKNESSES |
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Thinks pass-first and would benefit from putting more pucks on net and driving to the net … Needs to pick up his skating speed and one-step quickness a few strides to be an NHLer … Could ratchet his intensity up a notch or two to make more of an impact.
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| PROJECTION |
|
Nestrasil has above-average size and good skills, but didn’t dominate in junior and struggled as a first-year pro in 2011-12. He’ll need to establish himself as an AHL regular in Grand Rapids in 2012-13, even if it means toiling on the third and fourth lines to do it.
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Player statistics powered by www.eliteprospects.com
| Season |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
|
Playoffs |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
| 2004-2005 |
HC Slavia Praha U18 |
Czech U18 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2005-2006 |
HC Slavia Praha U18 |
Czech U18 |
41 |
6 |
12 |
18 |
18 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2006-2007 |
HC Slavia Praha U18 |
Czech U18 |
43 |
24 |
37 |
61 |
75 |
| |
Playoffs |
5 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
| |
Czech Republic U16 (all) |
International-Jr |
9 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007-2008 |
HC Slavia Praha U18 |
Czech U18 |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| |
Playoffs |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| |
HC Slavia Praha U20 |
Czech U20 |
40 |
12 |
16 |
28 |
58 |
| |
Playoffs |
5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| |
Czech Republic U17 (all) |
International-Jr |
11 |
7 |
3 |
10 |
14 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Czech Republic U18 (all) |
International-Jr |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008-2009 |
Victoriaville Tigres |
QMJHL |
66 |
22 |
35 |
57 |
67 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Czech Republic U18 |
WJC-18 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Czech Republic U18 (all) |
International-Jr |
6 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009-2010 |
Victoriaville Tigres |
QMJHL |
50 |
16 |
35 |
51 |
40 |
| |
Playoffs |
16 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
10 |
| |
Czech Republic U20 |
WJC-20 |
6 |
1 |
6 |
7 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Czech Republic U20 (all) |
International-Jr |
10 |
1 |
11 |
12 |
8 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010-2011 |
Prince Edward Island Rocket |
QMJHL |
58 |
19 |
51 |
70 |
40 |
| |
Playoffs |
5 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
2 |
| |
Czech Republic U20 |
WJC-20 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Czech Republic U20 (all) |
International-Jr |
9 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
16 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011-2012 |
Toledo Walleye |
ECHL |
51 |
7 |
22 |
29 |
20 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Grand Rapids Griffins |
AHL |
25 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
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Player statistics © www.eliteprospects.com
