2009 NHL Draft: Detroit Red Wings select Andrej Nestrasil in third round

With the 75th overall pick (and their first of two in the third round), the Detroit Red Wings picked Andrej Nestrasil who can play center and right wing. He tallied 22 goals and 35 assists with the Victoriaville Tigres.

Quick Stats:

Born: Februrary 22, 1991 (Prague, Czech Republic)

Position: Right Wing (shoots left)

Size: 6-2, 194 pounds

Detroit Free Press:

Nill said Nestrasil is strong in the corners, is bigger than Tomas Kopecky was at the same age and wanted to come over early to begin playing the North American style of hockey. Nill said they were impressed by Nestrasil's play at the under-18 world championships. "We saw him late April and thought he was the best player on the Czech team," Nill said.

Hockey's Future:

Nestrasil's ability to make plays at high speed allows him to surprise his opponents and catch opposing defensemen flat-footed.  At 6'2 and 194 pounds, Nestrasil has decent size, but he still has some work to do in adapting to the physical style in North America and playing a more complete game.

Sports Forecaster:

Scouting Report: As a QMJHL rookie, he produced 57 points--fourth in the league--and tied for third in freshman goals with 22... has good size and excellent puck skills; he's equally effective playing a setup role or finishing plays himself... needs to work on his skating and defensive-zone coverage in order to maximize his pro potential... is versatile enough to play both wing or center... must work on his game-to-game consistency and increase his work rate...

Red Wings Central:

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Nestrasil came over from the Czech Republic and adjusted well to the QMJHL with the Victoriaville Tigres. He had 57 points in 66 games impressed the Red Wings at the world under-18 championship. His skating needs work, but he plays a new-age power forward game.

Babcock's Death Stare:

STRENGTHS: Nestrasil is a pretty dynamic offensive player. His hands seem to be underrated and one of the biggest parts of his game. He can get really creative with the puck and his frame allows him to shield it as well. He’s an excellent passer, but has a strong shot as well. He showed flashes in the QMJHL of really having the ability to take over a game, doing more of that later in the season. With the Czech Republic at the u-18 tournament, he was one of the Czechs best penalty killers as he uses his stick very well.

WEAKNESSES: He is not a great skater, he lacks the leg strength to get to his top speed, which isn’t much to begin with. This can be rectified with proper training. He’s also somewhat inconsistent, and was benched in December before turning his game around for the second half of the season.