There's plenty of international flavour to the 2026 NHL Draft, and perhaps one of the most overlooked players in the class from outside of North America is winger Adam Novotny.
The Czechian winger is one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft, and after an incredible campaign following his jump to North America, he could be a player that rises up draft boards over the coming months.
Given the Calgary Flames level of wingers in the organization, they may not be prioritizing the position, but with his talent, we'll now look into whether Novotny should be a player on the Flames radar.
Pre-Draft Production
Year | Team | League | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023/24 | Hradec Kralove | Czech Extraliga | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2024/25 | Hradec Kralove | Czecha Extraliga | 41 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -8 |
2025/26 | Peterborough St. Petes | OHL | 58 | 34 | 31 | 65 | -1 |
2025 | Czechia | World Juniors | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 |
2026 | Czechia | World Juniors | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -2 |
While Novotny had good production in Czechia, it was his first campaign in North America that stood out the most, as he put up 34 goals and 65 points in 58 games for the St. Petes in the Ontario Hockey League. That's not just good, that's great, and for a player that's 6-foot-1, the combination of his frame and his production makes him a very intriguing prospect heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.
While he did well in the OHL, he also played at a very high level in back-to-back World Juniors for Czechia, with 1 goal and 4 points across 14 games played, helping the team to medal in both campaigns, including a silver in 2026. Sure, just one goal in 41 games played against men as a 16-year-old back in 2024/25 may raise some questions, but given the trajectory in his development, there's major positives here.
Strengths
Some players heading into the draft have good, but not great qualities, but in Novotny, we have one of the most NHL-ready shots in the entire draft, and that's an asset that's no doubt going to make him a regular in the league one day. Not only that, but Novotny has many different shots in his arsenal, as he has a good one-timer, a great wrist shot and the ability to get creative, making his offensive game one of the best in the draft.
Not only that, but he has a very high hockey IQ at both ends of the ice, and given how good he is in transition with a relentless motor and his responsible play style, his floor is just as good as anyone outside of the top-five in 2026.
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