Red Wings Central
Stories | Awards | History | Scout Comments | Strengths | Weaknesses | Projection | Statistics
JAN MURSAK
Jan Mursak
Position: Left wing
Shoots: Right
Vitals: 5'11'' / 173 lbs.
Birthdate: January 20, 1988
Hometown: Maribor, Slovenia
Acquired: Detroit's fifth choice (182nd overall) in the 2006 draft
CSS Ranking: 22nd European skater (2006)
Contract: 2011
RWC Says: Skilled winger

STORIES

AWARDS
  • 2006-07 OHL academic player of the month (December)
  • 2006-07 OHL second all-rookie team
  • 2006-07 OHL all-academic team
  • 2007-08 OHL Eastern Conference coaches poll most underrated player (runner-up)
  • 2007-08 OHL Eastern Conference coaches poll best stickhandler (runner-up)
  • 2007-08 OHL Eastern Conference coaches poll best playmaker (third place)

HISTORY
2005-06:
  • Transferred from home in Slovenia to play in Czech under-20 league with Ceske Budejovice.
  • Finished fourth in team scoring (48-15-17-32, plus-16).
  • Helped Slovenia win silver at second-level world under-18 championship (5-1-1-2).
  • Won bronze on line with Anze Kopitar at second-level world under-20 championship (5-3-2-5).
  • Ranked atop the 2006 draft class for his skating and hands by Central Scouting.
  • Drafted in the sixth round (182nd overall) by Detroit at the 2006 draft in Vancouver.
  • Selected 33rd overall in the CHL import draft by the Saginaw Spirit.
2006-07:
  • Started OHL rookie season with Saginaw on sizzling 22-game scoring streak (22-13-27-40).
  • Spent most of first few months among OHL's top 10 scorers (28-13-22-45).
  • Shined on a team that experienced player suspensions and a police investigation in October.
  • Represented Slovenia (1-4 record) at second-level world under-20 championship (5-3-2-5).
  • Wore down during mid-season stretch (25-8-15-23) before strong finish (8-6-6-12).
  • Finished fourth in OHL rookie scoring (62-27-53-80).
  • Plus-27 was second best on team that went 44-21-0-3, fourth in its 10-team conference.
  • Struggled in playoffs in six-game loss to Sault Ste. Marie (6-1-2-3).
  • Signed three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Red Wings in April.
  • Signed amateur tryout contract and joined the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins for playoffs.
  • Appeared in all seven first-round games (two assists, plus-3) as Grand Rapids lost to Manitoba.
2007-08:
  • Added more than 10 pounds of muscle in off-season and appeared in one NHL pre-season game.
  • Started junior season in OHL with Saginaw and had a slow start (26-6-20-26).
  • Traded at mid-season to Belleville in a five-player swap and finished strong (31-11-27-38).
  • Missed time near end of regular season with a concussion.
  • Won bronze with Slovenia at second-tier world junior championship (5-1-2-3, 31 shots).
  • Seventh in OHL playoff scoring (21-9-15-24) en route to seventh-game loss to Kitchener in final.
  • Shut down offensively as Belleville went 2-2 at Memorial Cup (4-1-0-1).

SCOUT COMMENTS
"He's a great skater with typical European skills and he competes hard." — Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (June 2006) ... "He just has to get stronger. He's as weak as a noodle right now, but you wouldn't know it watching him right now. He's real strong on his feet, so when he comes out of the corner he doesn't get trapped too much. He's a very competitive kid." — Red Wings director of amateur scouting Joe McDonnell (October 2006) ... "He's been struggling. He had an average camp, coming off a strong AHL playoff (in 2006-07). He put on almost 15 pounds in the off-season and it might be affecting him. It might be taking him a little time to grow into his body." — Nill (November 2007).

STRENGTHS
Best assets are terrific skating ability and stickhandling ability ... Excellent one-step quickness and acceleration ... Great moves and offensive smarts, with a Pavel Datsyuk knack for weaving through traffic and emerging with the puck ... Soft hands and scoring ability ... Willing to go to the net ... Good vision and playmaking ability ... Competitive ... Isn't afraid to get his nose dirty.

WEAKNESSES
Short and extremely slight ... Gaining strength will be crucial in helping him make the grade beyond junior hockey ... Short temper that results in undisciplined penalties.

PROJECTION
The Red Wings hope Mursak is a late-round steal who will develop into a top-line winger. Mursak showed in 2007-08 he still has plenty of development ahead, but the slick, skilled winger will have a shot at a scoring-line role in Grand Rapids in 2008-09 as an AHL rookie.

STATISTICS
  REGULAR SEASON PLAYOFFS
SEASON TEAM LEAGUE GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM
2003-04 Maribor Slovenia 14 3 3 6 16 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Maribor Slovenia 24 16 29 45 10 6 2 0 2 6
  Slovenia W-U18-B 5 1 2 3 4 -- -- -- -- --
2005-06 Budejovice Cze-J20 43 15 15 30 32 5 0 2 2 2
  Slovenia W-U18-B 5 1 1 2 8 -- -- -- -- --
  Slovenia W-U20-B 5 3 2 5 2 -- -- -- -- --
2006-07 Saginaw OHL 62 27 53 80 50 6 1 2 3 10
  Slovenia W-U18-B 5 3 2 5 10 -- -- -- -- --
  Grand Rapids AHL -- -- -- -- -- 7 0 2 2 2
2007-08 Saginaw OHL 26 6 20 26 15 -- -- -- -- --
  Belleville OHL 31 11 27 38 8 21 9 15 24 10
    Memorial Cup 4 1 0 1 0 -- -- -- -- --
  Slovenia W-U18-B 5 1 2 3 2 -- -- -- -- --

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The next wave

RWC's top 10 prospects (end-of-season)
01 D Jonathan Ericsson » Grand Rapids (AHL)
02 F Darren Helm » Grand Rapids (AHL)
03 G Jimmy Howard » Grand Rapids (AHL)
04 D Jakub Kindl » Grand Rapids (AHL)
05 F Justin Abdelkader » Michigan St. (NCAA)
06 D Brendan Smith » Wisconsin (NCAA)
07 F Jan Mursak » Belleville (OHL)
08 F Cory Emmerton » Brampton (OHL)
09 F Dick Axelsson » Djurgardens (SWE)
10 D Kyle Quincey » Grand Rapids (AHL)
» COMPLETE RANKING »