Mrtka could have highest ceiling among prospects in 2025 NHL Draft

The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held on June 27-28 at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The first round will be held on June 27 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), and rounds 2-7 will be on June 28 (Noon ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at defenseman Radim Mrtka of Seattle in the Western Hockey League. Full draft coverage can be found here.

Radim Mrtka may have the highest ceiling of any prospect in the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

Why?

"Not until I turned 14 years old did I really start to take hockey seriously," Mrtka said. "I just enjoyed playing it with my friends but never went to skills or skating camps."

Fast forward four years and Mrtka (6-foot-6, 218 pounds) is now the projected second-best defenseman of the 2025 draft. He's No. 5 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

"He could go in the top three of this draft and it's not going to shock anybody," Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "He's everything that you're looking for in a player, and he's been able to deliver while having changed continents, changed leagues ... and that's very difficult. It's a different pace playing in the pros or on the European side than it is when you come and play in the WHL, but he's fit in, adapted, responded, and I think he's going to continue to elevate his game."

Mrtka began this season with Trinec in the Czech Extraliga, the top professional league in his native country, getting one assist in 10 games. He signed with Seattle of the Western Hockey League on Nov. 27 and played his first game two days later.

After going without a point and a minus-4 rating in his first three games, he put up 35 points (three goals, 32 assists) and was plus-14 during the final 40 regular-season games. Mrtka then had three assists in six WHL playoff games.

"It's very rare to see a kid his size and age that can skate at that level," Seattle coach Matt O'Dette said. "I think his puck moving ability is high end, as is his vision. Normally young players his size are a little clumsy trying to get their feet under them, but he's got coordination and his feet are very good."

Selected by Seattle in the second round (No. 71) of the 2024 Canadian Hockey League import draft, Mrtka had seven assists during a five-game point streak from Dec. 14-Jan. 3, and eight points (one goal, seven assists) during another five-game point streak from Feb. 8-17.

"He impressed right away. ... He had no issues adjusting to the North American style of play and ice surface," O'Dette said. "In his first weekend he had a bit of jet lag but stepped right into the lineup and impressed right away. We have a young defense corps, but when he arrived it was quite evident he was a top-pairing defenseman for us and a guy that would play all situations. I think his smarts not only allow him to excel on the power play, but the penalty kill, and in situations where we need a goal and when we need to defend the lead."

Darryl Plandowski, the director of amateur scouting for the Utah Mammoth, was surprised to learn of Mrtka's athleticism during his viewings.

"It's impressive to see the body coordination for a player that size, and how well he speaks English, coming over and transforming himself right away in the Western Hockey League," Plandowski said. "He's right-handed, big and powerful. That's pretty exciting for anybody who gets ahold of him."

Utah currently holds the No. 4 pick in the 2025 draft.

Mrtka has admired former NHL forward and Czechia hockey legend Jaromir Jagr, whom he played against earlier this season. He's also grateful for former NHL defenseman Marek Malik, who was his coach on Trinec's Under-17 team.

"He was a pretty good defenseman and he gave me some of his experience, and I really enjoyed to play under him," Mrtka said. "Playing against Jagr was fun. He was so strong on the puck. Our coach said, 'Don't even try to hit him because there's no chance of getting the puck back from him.'"

Mrtka compares his game to that of Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, who was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.

"I think it's a fair comparison [to Seider]," NHL Central Scouting senior western scout John Williams said. "When he arrived in November, he played every situation from the get-go because [Seattle] had some injuries. For a guy who's 6-foot-6, he moves very well, has a little bit of bite in his game, and can jump up on the rush. I think he'd be a very good [No. 2 defenseman] who can play with a really good, skilled player.

"But he can also be on a power play, can kill penalties and can just eat minutes."

As such, Mrtka already has become reliable enough to be paired with any type of defense partner.

"I think he's just a guy that can get the puck out of trouble and move it out of the defensive zone," O'Dette said. "He's always going to be in a position where he can help do that, which can take a lot of pressure off a defense partner. He's always going to be in a position where he can defend and maybe help out a partner when there's some mistakes because he's got that reach, that length with his stick, and he's really smart in the way he uses that.

"The way he plays, sometimes you forget he's only [18]. When he fills out and matures physically, he's going to be quite the imposing force out there."