Prospect Profile: Petr Mrazek

It's been a while since I've updated this, but there's been some writer's block, some apathy, and just plain being busy, so I apologize. However, I figure I should get back into this because it's something I've enjoyed, so without further ado, I present you: Petr Mrazek.

Name: Petr Mrazek

Birth Date: February 14, 1992

Birth Place: Ostrava, Czechoslovakia

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 184 pounds

Position: Goalie

Catching Hand: Left

Drafted: 2010, 5th round, 141st overall by the Detroit Red Wings

When I first heard about this kid, my reaction was a big "meh". A goalie in the fifth round, big deal, right? But then I thought about it. How often do the Wings pick gems of players in the late rounds? The correct answer is "fairly often", with Datsyuk and Zetterberg being the two prime examples.

So this got me thinking, maybe Kenny Holland knows what he's doing. Then again, maybe not. Perhaps he picked a goalie just to have another goalie. Who knows? The more I heard about this Mrazek kid, though, the more I became optimistic that he has some real potential. I was unable to watch the World Juniors this year, but from what I heard, this guy was a real treat to watch.

Justin Goldman of the The Goalie Guild describes Mrazek as follows:

This highlight video seems to verify these claims, too.

Petr is now in his third season with his junior team, the Ottawa 67s, and while his stats aren't necessarily anything to write home about...they're not too shabby either. Improving from a 3.00 GAA in 2009-2010 to a 2.84 in each of this season and last, he's clearly improving. Side that with an improving save percentage of .905 to .920 (currently .916 this season), Mrazek could definitely be on his way to the big leagues in a few years.