One of the Detroit Red Wing’s top defensive prospects, Filip Hronek, was voted to the OHL’s third all-star team earlier this afternoon after receiving 25 votes from eligible voters. The Wings drafted Hronek 53rd overall in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Hronek appeared in 59 regular season games for the Saginaw Spirit in 2016-17, tallying 14 goals, 47 assists, and a plus 15 rating. Filip’s numbers last season with the Spirit were good enough to place him fourth overall out of all OHL defencemen. His 61 points was also second best out of all Saginaw skaters.
Detroit assigned Hronek to the Grand Rapids in late March where he skated in ten regular season games for the Griffins. In his first ten AHL games he registered one goal and one assist. Filip appeared in two post season games for the Griffins but has yet to register and playoff points with the club.
Before being drafted by the Red Wings TSN’s Craig Button compared Hronek to Anton Stralman and offered the following projection:
More of a puck-moving defenceman rather than a dynamic one. With him, the puck will get to the right spots and out of trouble at the right time. Very dependable player who’s very consistent, but not flashy.
Detroit could definitely use a defender with Hronek’s skillset down the road. The young Czech blue-liner still needs more time to develop in Grand Rapids but with some more seasoning it wont be too long before fans will get a glimpse of Hronek in a Red Wings’ sweater.
