Marek Kvapil

Name: Marek Kvapil
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 5.11
Weight: 172 lbs
Born: 1/5/85
Acquired: 2005 Entry Draft, 6th Round, 163 Overall

Junior Career
Although technically Slovakian, Marek Kvapil began his training with the Slavia Praha program in the Czech Republic. At 16 he played 9 games for Slavia's J18 team scoring 6 goals and 13 points in 9 games. At 17 he played the entire year at the J20 level scoring 9 goals and 13 points in 33 games for Slavia. The next year, as an 18 year old in 2003-2004, Kvapil split time between the J20, 1.liga (2nd tier) and Extraliga levels. In 42 games in J20 he scored 19 goals and 36 points while for Slavia's Extraliga side he was scoreless in 11 games. He also appeared in 4 games for 2nd tier Kometa Brno where he had 2 assists in 4 games. That summer he was selected 11th overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL and after 8 games of J20 for Slavia in the early Fall in which he scored 6 goals and 10 points, he made the jump to North America. Kvapil led a woeful Saginaw squad in scoring with 25 goals and 62 points in 53 games and he finished second only to Minnesota Wild 1st round pick Benoit Pouliot in OHL Rookie of the Year balloting and was a First Team OHL All-Rookie performer. He also appeared for the Czech Republic in the 2004 U20 World Junior Championships notching 2 goals and 5 points in 7 games en route to winning a bronze medal. The Lightning then selected the overage Kvapil in the 6th round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Professional Career
Kvapil was signed by the Lightning in the summer of 2005. That year he participated in the Traverse City prospect tournament where he had 3 goals and 4 points in 4 games. He also attended training camp with the Lightning and received extensive playing time in the exhibition season before being sent down to Springfield of the AHL. Kvapil finished second amongst all Falcons rookies in scoring behind only Ryan Vesce. In 2006-2007 Kvapil was again assigned to the Springfield Falcons of the AHL. He was expected to play on one of the team's top scoring lines but struggles with inconsistency soon led to Head Coach Steve Stirling moving Kvapil down to a checking line role. In 72 games with the Falcons Kvapil scored 12 goals and 27 points with 33 penalty minutes and a -18 rating. Late in the season he was demoted to Johnstown of the ECHL where he helped the Chiefs secure a playoff spot down the stretch run of the season. In 7 regular season ECHL games he had 3 goals and 11 points with 2 penalty minutes and a +2 rating before compliling 1 goal and 2 points with a +2 rating in Johnstown's short 2 game playoff run.

Talent Analysis
Pros:
Kvapil is a very gifted skater with incredible puckhandling ability. He is a magician with the puck on his stick with speed coming through the neutral zone and scored several highlight reel caliber goals in his rookie season with Springfield. He seems very coachable and willing to do what it takes to make it to the next level.

Cons:
Kvapil is not only short but also very slight of build and thus is not much of a factor in the physical game on the forecheck. He's still learning the defensive side of the game which he neglected much of his junior career. Like many young, gifted puckhandlers he has a tendency to hog the biscuit and needs to learn how to use his linemates better on the rush.

Future
Kvapil has a lot of work to do in the weight room and still a ways to go to tighten up the defensive side of his game, but once he does he could be a steal of a prospect. In almost every Falcons game Bolt Prospects saw during his rookie season Kvapil made at least one play where he just dragged you to the edge of your seat with his speed and creativity. He could be a solid scoring line player in the NHL some day and could be just a year or two away from his NHL debut.

Statistics Courtesy hockeydb.com

Profile Created 12/15/06 by Peter Choquette