2023-24 Team: Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
Date of Birth: Aug. 10, 2004
Place of Birth: Velky Saris, SVK
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 174 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Center
NHL Draft Eligibility: Unsigned Re-entry
On June 2, the Minnesota Wild chose to let Servac Petrovsky go instead of signing him. He can now re-enter the 2024 NHL Draft.
Petrovsky, 19, was the Wild’s sixth-round pick in the 2022 Draft. He is coming off a season of 20 goals and 55 points in 57 games for the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League. He also had nine points in five games for Team Slovakia in the 2024 World Juniors.
Related: THW 2024 NHL Draft Guide
Despite the setback, there is some precedent for players who were not signed by the teams that drafted them. The Buffalo Sabres chose not to sign Brandon Hagel in 2018, and he is now a 30-goal scorer for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hagel had 75 points last season at the age of 25. Emil Lilleberg went unsigned after the Arizona Coyotes drafted him in 2021. The 23-year-old defenseman played 37 regular-season games and five playoff games for the Lightning this year.
The question is whether Petrovsky will find himself in the right position to succeed in the NHL, as Hagel and Lilleberg did.
Still similar to his draft profile from two years ago, Petrovsky is a goal-scorer by trade. He plays very smart as an off-puck threat but is willing to drive the net for rebounds and quality looks. Beyond his scoring instinct, Petrovský’s playmaking ability shines through from time to time. He is also a good puck-handler and has a really well-rounded offensive toolkit.
Petrovsky’s play at the 2024 World Juniors elevated his prospect value. After two years of solid but unspectacular showings at the 2022 and 2023 tournaments, his 2024 performance has given him a career stat line of nine goals and 15 points in 14 Under-20 World Junior Championship games. The point total is tied for 69th among all U-20 WJC players since 2000, with some very interesting comparables, having similar numbers to notable NHL stars such as Nikita Kucherov, Sam Reinhart, and Connor McDavid.
Other Draft Profiles
Servac Petrovsky – NHL Draft Projection
A draft projection for Petrovsky is a bit tricky as a re-entry. First, as an unsigned draft pick, he is eligible to be signed as a free agent. In the days leading up to the draft, Petrovksy’s representatives are weighing potential offers against what his potential earnings might be if he is drafted. It is also difficult to gauge where he would slot in for rankings with less than two weeks before the draft. His skill set suggests that he could easily be picked in the middle rounds, with our own Dayton Reimer believing he could be selected in the second round.
Quotables
“Servác Petrovský was on the receiving end of some great passes in the offensive zone in this tournament and he capitalized on them. Coming into the slot, a few calculated steps behind his teammates to offer them the biggest passing window, he received and hammered pucks past goalies. His five goals in just as many games placed him at the top of Solvakia’s scoring leaderboard. But more than his goals, it’s Petrovský’s defensive impact that stood out to us during the tournaments. He broke more plays and recovered more pucks than anyone else on his team. If he can improve his playmaking game, Petrovský will put himself on an NHL track” (from “Emptying the Scout’s Notebook on almost 70 affiliated skater prospects at the 2024 World Juniors”, EP Rinkside, Jan. 6 6, 2024).
“Petrovsky was a pleasant surprise offensively for the Slovaks in this tournament, tied for the team lead in points. He began the tournament with a bang, and he never looked back. He has also represented Slovakia at the World Juniors previously and filled the other top-six center spot ahead of Dvorsky. The Minnesota Wild prospect also plays a good two-way game, but his offence popped in this tournament. Playing alongside Mesar, the two were an offensive force and were feeding off of each other.” – Joely Stockl, The Hockey News
Strengths
- Skating Ability
- Accurate Shot
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
- Playmaking skills
- Puck Protection
Servac Petrovsky – NHL Potential
Especially after his performance in the 2024 World Juniors, Petrovsky is on track to have a nice career in the NHL as a middle-six forward with the upside of being a mainstay of a team’s top-six grouping. He will likely spend a year or two in the AHL to get the refinement he needs to become a fixture on an NHL roster.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 2/5, Reward – 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense – 7.5/10, Defense – 6/10