Dominik Badinka – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile – Hockey Writers – NHL Entry Draft

admin May 20, 2024

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Dominik Badinka

2023-24 Team: Malmö J20 (J20 Nationell)
Date of Birth: November 27, 2005
Place of birth: Chomutov, Czechia
Ht: 6-foot-3 Wt: 190 pounds
Shots: Right
Position: Defense
NHL Draft Eligibility: Eligibility for the first year of 2024

Levels

Right-handed defender Dominik Badinka has had an up-and-coming journey over the past few years, physically speaking. For the past three seasons he has been playing in the Czech Republic. A year later, he ended up playing for Jokerit in Finland, and in his 18-year-old season, he moved to Sweden to play in the J20 Nationell and ended up in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He bounced between the two leagues, ending up playing almost twice (33) the number of games in the SHL than the J20 Nationell (17). In those 17 J20 games, he posted two goals and 11 assists for a total of 13 points, and in the SHL he tallied one goal and four total points.

Related: THW 2024 NHL Draft Guide

While he hasn't put up big numbers against the men in the SHL, Badinka has played nearly 15 minutes per night behind the Malmö Redhawks, which is an accomplishment in itself for his age. He was rewarded during this playing time for several key aspects of his game: his mobility, composure, and IQ. At 6-foot-3, Badinka has good size but still moves very well. His straight-line speed is among the defensive backs in the entire draft class, though admittedly that can be canceled out by a lack of high-sticking ability. In addition, he is able to stay very calm under pressure, avoiding panic with the puck on his stick – which is surprising considering how often he likes it on his stick.

In addition, his hockey sense is top notch. He can see the snow very well, which helps in his first pass through the snow. In the offensive zone, his vision allows him to find open teammates and set up scoring opportunities at will, while his ability to draw attention to himself allows his teammates to find open space with greater ease. On the other side of the transition, he can read plays and breakaways very well, solidifying his two-way skills as well as being above NHL average.

Dominik Badinka, Malmo Redhawks (Image Credit: Malmo Redhawks)

As mentioned earlier, Badinka lacks the catching ability that would elevate him to a first-round draft pick. Although he moves very well, it can be difficult for him (at times) to get around defenders during transition or forward pressure in the attacking zone. Because of this, he is likely to emerge as a secondary power-play quarterback if he gets time in the man gain. While playing in the J20 Nationell, he also spent 39 minutes in the box in only 17 games, showing the need for morale improvement.

Dominik Badinka – NHL Draft Projection

Badinka has a chance to steal the show's second round. It's almost certain that he doesn't move up to first late, playing more as a middle-to-second pitcher than anything else. His size in and of himself is an attraction to NHL general managers, and pairing that with mobility and a high hockey IQ should draw some attention early in the second day of the draft. Personally, I'll look at him after the 25th pick depending on who's available, but probably, he's not that low.

Some THW Draft profiles

Measurements

“His movement and composure under pressure are essential to his success as a team defender. Badinka is an aggressive defenseman who often displays positional awareness and physical strength, helping him successfully defend the run and block the slot in the SHL. ” – Sebastian High, Dobber Prospects

“Badinka is a quiet, mobile defender with size and dual skills. He is very good at rebounding and rebounding, which allowed him to adapt to the SHL quickly and be given more ice time. He is a great player who likes to have the puck on his stick and dictates the play with calmness and confidence.” – SpokedZ, SMAHT Scouting

“One of the first things [struck] When I watch him play, how confident he is with the puck. He doesn't seem to be under pressure when pressured, which allows him to make smart decisions and take care of the puck once he gets it.” – Erik Sjölund, FC Hockey

Power

Excellent composure, confidence, and composure under pressure
Temporal ability to move the puck
The highest IQ score
A solid first pass
Smooth straight line travel

Under Construction – Improvements To Be Made

It lacks high adhesive ability
It doesn't show dancing on the blue line in the offensive zone
It can improve penalty box behavior

NHL Power

When Badinka reaches his peak, he projects to be a solid secondary defender with two-way ability and the ability to support the second unit on the power play. His game somewhat reminds me of Damon Severson with his mobility and IQ, but he probably won't reach the ability that Severson has. I've seen him average around 25 points while eating up a minute on defense in the NHL. He's one of the oldest players in the draft, and he's more polished than some of the names who may go ahead of him in the draft, meaning he could see NHL time sooner rather than later.