5 Rangers prospects are attending the World Juniors

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TURKU, FINLAND – NOVEMBER 13: Michael Spacek of the Czech Republic (L) celebrates his goal during the Karjala Cup 2022 game between the Czech Republic and Switzerland at Gatorade Center on November 13, 2022, in Turku, Finland. (Photo by Vedran Galijas/Eurasia Sports Images/Getty Images) /

Jaroslav Chmelar

Moving onto the second forward from continental Europe, we get to Czech winger Jaroslav Chmelar. Picked in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL entry, Chmelar is a big winger that can play both sides. There’s a lot to like about him and he is going to be a (literally) big player for the Czech team this year. It’s going to be difficult to miss this player as he is not exactly going to blend in during a melee.

Chmelar had been applying his trade in Finland before this season when he started going to Providence College and has since taken up a role in the Friars squad. While Chmelar doesn’t exactly have a ton of offensive scoring in his repertoire, he’s still been a nice player for Providence in his first full season on North American ice. He’s not had a bad season by any stretch of the imagination but he’s not setting the NCAA alight.

In 18 games he has six goals and four assists for ten points. Nothing to turn your nose up at but he’s not going to blow the doors off offensively. There are firmly not going to be any Hobey Baker discussions surrounding this player because there just isn’t the production that there has been with other candidates and past winners. He’s fine, but not special.

Czechia will have a ton of players to watch that are more highly touted, but there is going to be that extra reason for Ranger fans to tune into the games of the Eastern European nation. There’s a ton of room to grow for Chmelar moving forward and this is a tournament for him to put his skill set on display for the watching hockey world.

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