Sabres’ prospect Matej Pekar playing well with HC Benátky nad Jizerou

Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Matej Pekar is showing signs of progress with HC Benátky nad Jizerou in Czech 1.liga.

The Czech 1.liga might not be the highest level of ice hockey in Czech Republic (it’s the second), but it’s where Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Matej Pekar is starting to show that he can produce at a high level.

Through the first 5 games of the season, he already has 1 goal and 5 assists.

Now, I know what most fans are thinking…

“… but he can’t do it in the NHL, so who cares?”

To be honest, as long as he’s a Buffalo Sabres’ prospect, then we care — and you should too! I believe he has a chance at being a mid- or bottom-6 forward with the Buffalo Sabres and could be a handful for opposing players to deal with.

Here’s a look at his first — and only goal thus far — with HC Benátky, courtesy of @CZprospects on Twitter:

Matej Pekar is showing how active he can be on the ice, as well as how much he has matured in the few years since being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, who chose him in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft (94th overall).

Prior to the draft, he spent a season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL, recording 14 goals and 40 assists in 56 games. When it came time for his rookie season, he was sent to play for the Barrie Colts in the OHL.

He had a lot of ups and downs with the Barrie Colts, ultimately spending a season and a half with the team. His first year was cut short due to a collarbone injury, but he still managed 14 goals and 22 assists in 33 games as a rookie — which isn’t bad.

The injury was a small setback, but he took full advantage of the time off-ice to hone in on his training and focus on how to get better. It seemed to work as he looked much more comfortable, poised, and mature on the ice — though he was still his same pesky, annoying, physical, and tough self.

He ended up playing 26 games with Barrie in 2019-2020, totaling 16 goals and 13 assists, before being traded to the Sudbury Wolves. There, he was teamed up with one of the top prospects of this year’s NHL Draft, Quinton Byfield. It didn’t take long for him to find his groove with the team, even recording two hat-tricks in a four-game span.

Pekar spent the remaining 25 games of the season with Sudbury before COVID-19 shut the season down. He recorded 12 goals and 22 assists, bringing his 2019-20 totals to 28 goals, 35 assists, and a +/- of 16. Those are impressive stats for a fourth-rounder and are promising considering we have yet to see a full season from him.

His pesky style of play is one Buffalo Sabres’ fans absolutely love and he has expressed that seem feeling of excitement for the fans. He’ll annoy the opposing players, make it difficult for them, and possibly draw a lot of unnecessary penalties on the other team.

With two years left on his entry-level contract, many fans are wondering where he’s currently at in his development and what the near future holds for him. At just 20 years old, we’re still likely a few years away from seeing him on an NHL roster, but he’s certainly catching the eye of Kevyn Adams and the rest of the player development staff.

Now that he is following up his solid play in the OHL with some solid play with HC Benátky in Czech Republic, he’s starting to build a track record everywhere he goes. He’s had success in his home country of Czech Republic, he found success in the United States with Muskegon, and he’s even had success in Canada.

The question is whether or not he can continue that success when he gets his shot at a pro debut in the United States. He has the opportunity to get called up to the AHL this season if Adams and company feel he’s ready, but I feel like there’s a bigger chance he lands in the OHL for one more season with Sudbury.

Let it be known, however, that he’ll be due for some ice time in Rochester if he turns in another productive season in the OHL. At that point, it’s well-deserved.

Either way, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Matej Pekar in the NHL in a few years. He’s a student of the game, he knows what his strengths are, and he continues to play to those strengths when on the ice. The future is certainly bright for this 20-year old and it’ll be interesting to see what Kevyn Adams does with him — he’s a restricted free agent after the 2021-22 season.

Don’t worry, we’ll be keeping our eye on Matej Pekar for you. We do our best to post updates on players overseas on our Twitter, so be sure to follow us to see Pekar’s progress as the Czech2 season continues!

We really hope you enjoyed this blog about our beloved Buffalo Sabres. We look forward to continuing the conversation with the best fans in the world down below in the comments section.