ADAM NOVOTNY 2026 NHL Draft Prospect

In this episode of The Draft Board Hockey Show, Linc and I talk about one of the most well rounded prospects of the 2026 NHL draft, Adam Novotny, who plays for the Peterborough Petes in the OHL, as we break down his game and some of his positive and negatives attributes. He also played for team Czechia at the World Juniors as a draft eligible player, so that should help his stock as well!

Hosts: Mark (NHL Draft Pros) and Linc (New Wave Hockey)

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to the draftboard hockey show. My name is Mark, and as always, I'm joined by my co-host Link from New Wave Hockey. What is going on?

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Not much, not much. It's getting busy here in Syracuse, but I'm still putting in so much work and watching all the tape of the for the guys this year. It's going to be a fun, fun year. Uh, the more I watch the guys, uh the harder it is for me to kind of discern um a clear boundary for first rounders, second rounders. This is a deep class. I I I will I I think we said it earlier in the year. I like the top 10 of last year's class better, but this is a deep class. You can get a lot of good, solid players in this class who have a good shot of making NHL rosters. And I think you can find that on even third and fourth rounds. Uh, there are gonna be guys who are taken like pretty late that are going to be pretty good suppliers here. I think this is a really deep class, but it it tapers off after a little bit. So yeah, no, I think Adam Novotney is pretty establishing himself in like the top 15 here. I can't wait to talk about him because he's such an amazing player.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Yeah, you know what? I think that getting deeper into this draft, like the the first, the top top end of it's pretty. I I say there's a top end, and then after that, like middle of the first round into the second is oh, that's gonna be a tough one to discern and figure out because I'm having some having some difficulty with that for sure. I digress today. We talk about Adam Novotny from the Peterborough Pete's. Yes, he is a big, big prospect, and we got him in at six foot one, 205-pound winger this year playing for Peterborough. Like I said, he had 65 points in 58 games, 34 of them are goal. So, yeah, putting up some nice numbers already for big kids, six foot one, 205 pounds. You like to see that in a prospect?

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Absolutely. Um, I think the best part of his game is away from the puck, but again, we'll talk a little bit about his numbers so far. He played 41 games last year in the Czech men's league and was really stellar away from the puck. He's a great skater, he's big and he loves to throw the body around, but he's a very, I will say he's a very efficient body checker. Uh, he'll hit a guy to knock the puck off of him and then he'll move on to get the puck. He's really quick. Um, but one thing that he's developed a lot of and really shown in bunches is his shot. He's got a crazy good release. Um, this guy is just very quick on the draw with his shot. Peterborough is a playoff team with him. I'm not sure if they're a playoff team without this guy. Um, just a spectacular player this year. Uh, he's done so much for the OHL. And I think his draft uh his draft kind of talk has really reflected how well he's done all around. Um he's he's a speedster, he plays a great 200 foot game, but he's able to put up that offense as well. He's not going to be somebody who at his peak is going to put up more than 75 points a year per perennial perennially, but this is a guy who's going to slot in that middle six second line role and be an absolute dog for you. And you will take that in the top 12 every single day.

SPEAKER_00 3:15

Yeah, you mentioned him playing in the Czech League last year. I think that was a big component of him having a mature game coming into the OHL. You see it, he has those tendencies that are kind of a little bit more developed than some of the uh prospects in this draft. And I think that, like you said, playing 40 plus games. I think he only had like three points last year in Czechia playing.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

But now he was 17. I'm yeah, yeah, he was 17. He went through a growth spurt, he was 17 years old. I'm not gonna ever not gonna like rag on him. Oh three points, so come on.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

No, that's his D minus one season. And like I said, I think that parts of his game that got really nice, nicely developed playing in the men's league. You like you got to earn your minutes when you're playing in a pro league, right? And so I think that that helped him out, but you can uh you can see that he does have that 200-foot game, like he's got a mature two-way game, which is nice, and you had the plu preval privilege of seeing him at the uh world juniors. And what did you think of his play at the world juniors there?

SPEAKER_01 4:12

He only had three points in the seven games for the gold medal winning Czechia uh team, but I don't think or no, wow, I gold medal appearing Chechia team. Uh they they they where they got the silver. I'm I'm I'm my my my brain's a little behind me today. But I I don't think they get to the gold medal game without this player. He is so special and he was so good in every other area of the game. Uh he covered the ice so well. He was preventing breakouts, he was pressuring defensemen. He was so adept at just the 200-foot parts of the game. He is a relentless player. And he set up guys like Voitet Shihar, uh, Vasilov Nestrasil, Adam Benak so well uh while playing on their line. He wasn't the primary focus for scoring, even with that big shot, but he played a role so well. And that's why I think that after another year, I think he could be in the league. He can be in the NHL as early as his draft uh year minus uh draft year plus two season when he turns 20. I think that's something that is completely in reason for him. Uh he's a very high floor. The ceiling, it kind of is what it is, but he plays big. He is a very solid, solid player, very smart, good skating already. He's got a very mature game to him already. I I really don't have many reasons against him. He's he's very, very smart uh in the way that he plays the game. And uh that was shown, I think, perfectly at the World Juniors, like just though he only had three games, just such an efficient player.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Yeah, you know what? And the nice thing about a player like Adam Novotny is that he uses his size and strength to his leverage, um, to leverage players. And like in this clip right here, he he goes to the net. He's not afraid to go into that uh the house, I guess you could say, in front of the net there and use his body, and he's really good at you know picking up deflections and stuff like that. So you like to see that in a player, like you said, he has a really good shot, but he also is uh aware of you know going in for tips and deflections and stuff like that in front of the net. I and I like to see that, especially in a young player. They time, you know, a lot of players uh of that age, 17 years old, they they're kind of hesitant to you know attack those areas, but he's not. Obviously, when you're six foot one, 205 pounds, you know, you you uh sometimes use that to your advantage, and he definitely does, but he's also a player, like you said, you know, he's is not afraid to block shots, and his play away from the puck is really mature for his age. And I think that playing in check here with men uh definitely helped that out. So yeah, I like his game overall. Like in terms of you know where he slots in the future, I think middle six is is fair enough. Uh, I know you said uh second line, you know, even third line, he'd be a really good asset for a team, any team. It depends, you know. We always say, you know, where they slot, but it also depends on what team you're on, right? What kind of firepower does a team have? You know, you know, with the offensive upside, what kind of systems do they play and stuff like that? So, but yeah, he's he's definitely, I'd say, middle six kind of NHL player.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

There's an argument to be made that he could be a contract, a complimentary piece on the first line, too. This could be a guy who goes into dirty areas for you and he is just plays that game away from the puck that you might need on the first line. It depends on the team exactly. But he is a player, he's very malleable. I think he can he's gonna play very soon in the NHL because of just how he plays. I mean, we we we talk about this uh guy who can kind of play in all aspects of the game. I I encourage people to go go back and watch his game, his gold medal game against uh uh against Sweden. Sweden did outmatch Chechia, but when he was on the ice, he was giving them a good challenge every single time. Uh, that's something that you're not going to see from a lot of grittier forwards and stuff like that. He was he's quick and he processes the game really quickly, and he was really good in transition too. He was making it tough on the Swedes. Uh, and he's been doing that all year for Peterborough for a team that has desperately, desperately needed it. So whether he's playing in the AHL next year, which he could, will he? I don't know. I'd rather have him in the OHL or maybe maybe even the NCAA. Oh, come on, please. But uh like that would be I think he's he's going to adjust to matter where no matter where he plays. He's mature enough where he can make those decisions and be play up to his comp play up to his competition in a sense.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

Yeah, you know what? In terms of rankings, uh, I find that he's kind of a little bit all over the map. So let's take a look at elite prospects. Have him uh where do they have him? What's the consensus there? So zoom in on that there, Link.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Elite Prospects has him at 12. Cam's consensus is at 16, Button had him at 21. Um the average lists have him around like the 10 spot, 12th on central scouting for North American skaters. He's kind of in he's kind of in the I'd say the 17 to 10 range.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Um a lot of people like let's check out uh where we're uh McKean's, who we write for. Let's put that on there and see. Uh so yeah, McKeyn's right now. Well, we're actually we're just we're starting our new rankings. We're we're doing our discussion for the new rankings, but out of as of their midpoint rankings, we had Adam Novotny at number 12. Uh I think I don't mind that at all. I don't mind that all. Like you said, I think from like the 10 to 15, 17 kind of range. I think it depends on what a team's looking for. You know, we got to remember lots of uh defensemen, a lot of high-end defensemen or uh D in this draft. And so, you know, centermen are kind of lacking, and he's a winger. They're at a premium also in this draft. So I think that I think it just depends on what a team's looking for. I I like him at 12, where yeah, he has him.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

I'll I'll be per I'll be prank with with with everyone here uh too. I have him around the 10 spot. I have uh Vigo, Bjork, and Suvanto above him significantly, just because they're both centers, they've been showing off their game a lot, uh, I think a lot better to this point in terms of like an all-around game. I think uh we've already talked about Vigo at length. Uh he's a spectacular guy. I think that the guys that kind of in his tier that he has to kind of worry about and contend with are Oscar Hemming, Daxon Rudolph, Ethan Belchez, Tynan Lawrence, uh Malta Gustavson, even though apparently that that one's a shock to some of you guys. Uh but yeah, I think that little just outside the top 10, maybe even pushing the top 10 in general, that's a that's a good spot where he's going to land on pretty much anyone's list. Um, I don't think this guy is a guy who falls at all. Like he is somebody who is gonna be snatched up in the 10 to 12 range. Uh we'll we'll see what happens on draft day, but I I really like Novotny. I've been a huge fan of him. I got to meet him too. Uh I got to interview him, and he was just the nicest individual. He was so tell me about the teammate, and it's just like it's such a good experience being at the World Juniors. He was uh rooming with uh Baslav Nestrosil, but he like he like fully dapped me up, gave me a hug. I was like, dude, you're sweaty. Don't do that to me. Don't do that to me. That's you're sweating. I was messing with that now. He's he's a he was a great dude. I I hope I do get the privilege of meeting him again. I guess we will at the draft, so that would be fun.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

Yeah, you know what? Now you so you know, in terms of like his ceiling, though, that's kind of a little bit of my concern. Now he's a shoot first type player. The playmaking, I think, needs a little bit of work. That's one thing that I think you know, he's kind of laser focused on taking the shot. Sometimes he's got options and doesn't use it to his advantage, which is not a bad thing. He's still young, like I said, but you know, like he does have a great shot. So when you're a shooter, like you know, you think of the Cole Eisermans, like those guys, they ain't looking for passes, they're firing pucks. Now, I'm not putting him in the same category as Cole Eiserman in terms of his shot, however, he is a shoot first, definitely a shoot first kind of player. Uh, I like to hit for him to refine a little bit of his playmaking. Like I said, his two foot 200 foot game, his his four check and stuff like that's really good. Playmaking, I think, is that something if he can if he can get that a little bit better, I think that that would make him uh a dual threat for sure.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

I I think it's it you it's nearly there. Yeah, you see what he does in transition. This guy can take the puck the length of the ice no matter who he's playing. He did it for Checkia, he did it for Peterbro, he did it for Checkia again at the Helenka Gretzky. Um this guy specializes in carrying the puck and being a transition forward, and those guys are easy to turn into good playmakers, I think, in my opinion. You you see a guy who sees the ice so well, he knows what his options are. I think if he's in a different situation, um he's gonna show off. He still also had 30 assists. He he can make the play. I I agree that he needs to kind of consider his options a little bit more sometimes. Um, he's very like heavy on the rush, uh, very looking at being the final option in the offensive zone. And I like I love that I want that puck mentality. Um, but I think he he can he can take he can take a little bit more time and be a little bit more uh you know cautious with the puck, I guess is the word. But um he's very mature already. I I think with the value he brings in defensively and in the neutral zone already, away from the puck, he's already somebody that I'm considering regardless of what he does distribution-wise. So I I I've been a huge fan of him. He was everywhere on the ice at the World Juniors. Mark, I wish you were up with me next to next to the Don. We were watching this guy, and the Don's like, yeah, is that Novotny again? I'm like, yep, it is. He's he's a great skater. I when Elite Prospects does pup publish their um their guide and they describe who some of the best skaters are in the draft. I would not be shocked if Novotny's in that top five. I think he is. He's really he's really come together on a lot.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Especially for his size. Like he he's he's a really good skater for his size. Like at that size, usually they're a little bit kind of awkward, but he seems pretty uh smooth when he skates out there.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

He's a good skater. He gives me he gives me the smoothness of a guy who's like five foot eleven. Like he but he plays he plays like he's six four. Like he's very five pounds. Six one, two oh five. That's a big person, man. That's unreal. I love it. Look, look, it's been uh look, it's been a couple few weeks of me going out of college, so I've put on some weight, but I'm still I'm still a good a good bit away from 205. If I was 205, I'd be throwing around, I'd be throwing around the weight around too. So there are some guys a little bit heavier than him that don't throw it around. And he's fast, he's quick, he's able to cover the ice, he's able to get to kill plays along the wall in the drew zone. That's he he does it so well. It's it's it's like it's very rare to find that.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

I think that I think like we were saying before, maybe college route would be a nice place for him to kind of to to mature, you know what I mean? Like that and you're not rushing him in the HL. The OHL might be past his prime. So I think that NCAA is kind of like the perfect, you know, melting point.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

I would love, I would love to see him in the in the hockey east or the Big Ten. Uh, I think because Michigan State already has a lot of their guys locked down. This could be a guy who is at Michigan next year, or he maybe is at Penn State. But he could be at one of the Boston schools, he could be at Providence. I think he really can control his own destiny. He's definitely getting a lot of NIL consideration. So people will definitely talk about him. But um I think one of the things, one of the reasons why he hasn't committed yet or hasn't even done that, because he's probably hearing from teams that he could play in the AHL next year. I do, I don't think that's an outlandish thing to say. I think he can play in the AHL. Is it the best for his offensive upside? Not necessarily. I think, but he can he, I think he can slot into a bottom, bottom line, a bottom six role in the AHL and really grind his way out. Consta Helenius did it to an extent. Um, I think he was a little bit premature to go to the AHL, but he did it the last two years, and he's looked pretty solid. So I I think I don't think they're too I don't think they're very comparable, those two, uh, aside from how good they are in transition. But you know, I think I think Novotney is uh Novotny knows his options, so he's gonna definitely weigh them this summer.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see. But you know what? Great player, nevertheless. Uh love his game overall. I think that's it for Mr. Adam Novotney, a P Rule Pete 2026 NHL draft prospect. Link, what do you think? That's it for today.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

Um, that's it for today. We will be doing, I think we're gonna be doing our lists very soon because I'm coming out. I think I have my third top 32 solidified. I'm still kind of working it out uh for McKeens.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Uh uh win top 32 next. So I'll be coming out with the top 32 soon. So we'll you know what? Probably in a couple weeks or so, we'll we'll uh you and I will have to go toe-to-toe again for our ranking list. We always like to hash it out.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

This will be this will this will be a time I think Mark is gonna disagree with me on some of these takes. I uh I've shifted things around, but he's yeah, it when I apparently I blindsided him with my melt at Gustafson during the uh the mock tracks.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Hey, who's popped off in the playoffs right now, too?

SPEAKER_01 16:59

Gustafson.

SPEAKER_00 17:00

No, Dax this Daxon Rudolph is absolutely doing crazy things. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Well, he's still a little bit slower. I don't know. We'll see. Okay, we'll see.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

Well, hey, we'll we're we'll keep it under wraps until like I love that we do the rankings blind, we don't know each other's rankings, and uh we put them up together. That's always a lot of fun. But uh, as always, my friend, good talking, you and everyone else. We'll see you next week. Cheers.