The Calgary Flames have drafted their fair share of Slovakians in the past decade.
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In 2023, they selected <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2023/06/28/calgary-flames-select-samuel-honzek-at-16th-overall-in-2023-nhl-draft/">Samuel Honzek</a> 16th overall. Five years before, they selected Martin Pospíšil in the fourth round, followed by Miloš Roman 17 picks later. In 2017, the Flames selected Adam Ružička in the fourth round.
The 2025 draft features another interesting Slovakian, goaltender Michal Pradel. Let’s get to know the 18-year-old netminder.
<h2>Scouting report</h2>
Born in Dolný Kubínm, a town located nearly 300 kilometres away from Bratislava and just 45 kilometres away from the Polish border, Pradel stands at 6’4”, 195 lbs, and most recently played for the United States Hockey League’s Tri-City Storm.
Steven Ellis of <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-nhl-draft-rankings-top-80-steven-ellis-misa-hagens-schaefer-martone-desnoyers">Daily Faceoff</a> ranked Pradel as his 50th-best draft prospect, having this to say about the Slovakian netminder.
<blockquote>“Pradel was one of the best goaltenders from start to finish at the U-18s, and a big reason why the Slovaks played for a medal for the third straight year. The 6-foot-5 goaltender takes up a ton of the net, and he’s also so quick and agile, too. He was applauded for his ability to steal games in the USHL and he carried that over to this tournament, too. Pradel battles hard, sees cross-crease passes well and doesn’t let a bad goal bother him. Pradel will be one of the first goaltenders taken this summer because his mix of size and mobility makes him a great player to have in the system.”</blockquote>
<a href="https://neutralzone.com/nhl-scouting-reports/ushl-michal-pradel/">Neutral Zone </a>believes Pradel will be selected in a range from the end of the third round until the fifth round. Here’s what they said about the 18-year-old.
<blockquote>“Pradel’s size, mental makeup, and foundation in zone tracking and sealing techniques give him a clear NHL toolkit—but he is not ready for high-level North American pro hockey today. He will need several years of tailored coaching — continued USHL/European development or the NCAA. That said, the combination of expected goals saved, performance against elite competition, and size-to-skill ratio make him a legitimate bet for teams willing to play the long game. Pradel is a draftable goalie prospect with long-term NHL upside, but at this point is far from a polished product. Monitor closely, especially as development occurs in a structured North American goaltending program.”</blockquote>
<h2>The numbers</h2>
Pradel started his junior career in Slovakia, playing for his hometown MHK Dolný Kubín’s youth team in 2021-22. He later played for Draci Liptovský Mikuláš and HC &#8217;05 Banská Bystrica’s youth teams before heading to North America.
In 2024-25, Pradel played for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League, posting an .899 save percentage and a 2.41 goals against average in 14 games played. Pradel also played a post-season game, saving 34 of 36 shots for a .944 save percentage in a losing effort.
The Slovak is yet to commit to an NCAA school, but he most recently played in the Under-18 Worlds, posting a .914 save percentage and 2.46 goals against average in seven games as the Slovaks won the Silver Medal.
<h2>Availability and fit</h2>
The Flames have selected a netminder in four of the last five drafts (all of whom are Russian), but it’s a position where you can never draft too many players, as they have a weird development path. If he goes around the 50th overall spot, it’s probably not worth it for the Flames.
That said, if Pradel is available in the fifth round, he could be worth taking a flier on as he’ll start to adapt to the North American game as soon as next season. Since he’s in North America, it’s more likely he’d play for their minor league teams, while <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2024/06/29/calgary-flames-select-kirill-zarubin-at-84th-overall-in-2024-nhl-draft/">Kirill Zarubin</a>, <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2023/06/29/calgary-flames-select-x-at-176th-overall-in-2023-nhl-draft/">Yegor Yegorov</a>, and Daniil Chechelev all play in Russia.
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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/combinations">FlamesNation</a>, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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The Calgary Flames have drafted their fair share of Slovakians in the past decade.
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In 2023, they selected <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2023/06/28/calgary-flames-select-samuel-honzek-at-16th-overall-in-2023-nhl-draft/">Samuel Honzek</a> 16th overall. Five years before, they selected Martin Pospíšil in the fourth round, followed by Miloš Roman 17 picks later. In 2017, the Flames selected Adam Ružička in the fourth round.

The 2025 draft features another interesting Slovakian, goaltender Michal Pradel. Let’s get to know the 18-year-old netminder.
<h2>Scouting report</h2>
Born in Dolný Kubínm, a town located nearly 300 kilometres away from Bratislava and just 45 kilometres away from the Polish border, Pradel stands at 6’4”, 195 lbs, and most recently played for the United States Hockey League’s Tri-City Storm.

Steven Ellis of <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-nhl-draft-rankings-top-80-steven-ellis-misa-hagens-schaefer-martone-desnoyers">Daily Faceoff</a> ranked Pradel as his 50th-best draft prospect, having this to say about the Slovakian netminder.
<blockquote>“Pradel was one of the best goaltenders from start to finish at the U-18s, and a big reason why the Slovaks played for a medal for the third straight year. The 6-foot-5 goaltender takes up a ton of the net, and he’s also so quick and agile, too. He was applauded for his ability to steal games in the USHL and he carried that over to this tournament, too. Pradel battles hard, sees cross-crease passes well and doesn’t let a bad goal bother him. Pradel will be one of the first goaltenders taken this summer because his mix of size and mobility makes him a great player to have in the system.”</blockquote>
<a href="https://neutralzone.com/nhl-scouting-reports/ushl-michal-pradel/">Neutral Zone </a>believes Pradel will be selected in a range from the end of the third round until the fifth round. Here’s what they said about the 18-year-old.
<blockquote>“Pradel’s size, mental makeup, and foundation in zone tracking and sealing techniques give him a clear NHL toolkit—but he is not ready for high-level North American pro hockey today. He will need several years of tailored coaching — continued USHL/European development or the NCAA. That said, the combination of expected goals saved, performance against elite competition, and size-to-skill ratio make him a legitimate bet for teams willing to play the long game. Pradel is a draftable goalie prospect with long-term NHL upside, but at this point is far from a polished product. Monitor closely, especially as development occurs in a structured North American goaltending program.”</blockquote>
<h2>The numbers</h2>
Pradel started his junior career in Slovakia, playing for his hometown MHK Dolný Kubín’s youth team in 2021-22. He later played for Draci Liptovský Mikuláš and HC '05 Banská Bystrica’s youth teams before heading to North America.

In 2024-25, Pradel played for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League, posting an .899 save percentage and a 2.41 goals against average in 14 games played. Pradel also played a post-season game, saving 34 of 36 shots for a .944 save percentage in a losing effort.

The Slovak is yet to commit to an NCAA school, but he most recently played in the Under-18 Worlds, posting a .914 save percentage and 2.46 goals against average in seven games as the Slovaks won the Silver Medal.
<h2>Availability and fit</h2>
The Flames have selected a netminder in four of the last five drafts (all of whom are Russian), but it’s a position where you can never draft too many players, as they have a weird development path. If he goes around the 50th overall spot, it’s probably not worth it for the Flames.

That said, if Pradel is available in the fifth round, he could be worth taking a flier on as he’ll start to adapt to the North American game as soon as next season. Since he’s in North America, it’s more likely he’d play for their minor league teams, while <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2024/06/29/calgary-flames-select-kirill-zarubin-at-84th-overall-in-2024-nhl-draft/">Kirill Zarubin</a>, <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2023/06/29/calgary-flames-select-x-at-176th-overall-in-2023-nhl-draft/">Yegor Yegorov</a>, and Daniil Chechelev all play in Russia.

<hr />

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/combinations">FlamesNation</a>, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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The Flames have selected four Slovakians in the past decade, could netminder Michal Pradel be next?

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