Detroit — Michal Orsulak didn’t go to Buffalo last month for the NHL Entry Draft.
Rather than sit around at the arena and wait for his name to be called, Orsulak joined some of the prospects in agent Dan Milstein’s stable to work out and watch the draft in Miami.
Let’s face it, a weekend in Miami likely tops Buffalo. But on top of that, for Orsulak, hearing he was drafted by the Red Wings made it all extra special.
“I was happy in the moment,” Orsulak said during last week’s development camp at BELFOR Training Center. “To go to a team from the Original Six. I was so happy.”
The Wings have an impressive list of young goaltenders in the organization, so deep as a matter of fact, they traded Sebastian Cossa the opening night of the draft to Utah and received a first-round pick for the Wings’ former first round pick who was sliding down the organizational depth chart.
With Michal Postava (like Orsulak, a Czech) and Trey Augustine (Michigan State) in Grand Rapids, Carter Gylander in the system, and Rudy Guimond in college, the Wings appear in good shape.
But in any draft, in any sport, a team looks to acquire talent. Regardless of position. When Kris Draper, the Wings’ director of amateur scouting, and his staff saw Orsulak available, the Wings had to pounce. The Wings grabbed Orsulak in the third round, 79th overall.
“The size, the compete, the way he moves, we just felt that with where we were in the draft, we felt it was a real good pick to add,” Draper said. “We feel we have a good athlete, competitive. We’re real excited to add him.”
Orsulak, 18, had an outstanding season for a powerful Prince Albert team in the Western Hockey League (WHL), after having played junior hockey in his native Czech the year before.
Orsulak was 28-4-4, with a 2.22 goals-against average and .907 save percentage with four shutouts, helping Prince Albert get to the WHL finals. Orsulak also was a key factor in Czechia earning a silver medal at the world junior championships, getting the attention of numerous scouts.
“We (Prince Albert) had a good year for sure, and I played better than the year before,” said Orsulak, who is returning to Prince Albert next season. “Confidence real high after world juniors, but (people don’t remember) who finished second.”
Another reason for Orsulak’s excitement about being drafted by the Wings was the history of Czech goalies in the organization. Of course it started with Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, but in recent years Petr Mrazek and Postava have been part of the organization and been part of a string of successful goaltenders from Czechia.
When it comes to a reason for Czechia suddenly developing goaltenders, Orsulak feels there is an explanation.
“Every team has a goalie coach, we have many goalie coaches,” Orsulak said. “He is there all the time, for every practice. This is a good thing. I see myself, I started young and playing for a good team and facing shots.
“We have a good system there.”
At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, with athleticism and competitiveness to match — and an impressive 78.8 inch wingspan — Orsulak fits the profile of what NHL teams are currently looking for in net. In some mock drafts, Orsulak was expected to go in the second round, or a bit higher in the third, well before the Wings picked.
“He’s in a special category, technically and mechanically,” said Dan Marr, central scouting director, before the draft. “He’s got all the tools that you want to see in a prospect. NHL clubs seem to like the goalies that have that size. There’s not a lot of net to shoot at, and he doesn’t give the shooters much net to aim at. It’s his quickness with his reflexes and his reactions, but also the compete that he has. He’s a very assertive, challenging goalie.”
Orsulak enjoyed the Wings’ four-day camp, meeting fellow draft picks and getting familiarized with the development coaches and organization.
“Every day there’s something new,” Orsulak said. “I’ve learned many new things.”
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: In Michal Orsulak, Red Wings add to goaltending depth via NHL draft
Reporting by Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
