Prospect Update: Vojtech Port

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks drafted defenseman Vojtech Port in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, 161st overall. This past season he played for both the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.

Port started the season playing for Edmonton, where he recorded three goals and 12 points in 26 games. He was traded to Moose Jaw midway through the season in late December. Port was injured at the time, and didn’t make his Moose Jaw debut until February. With the Warriors, he played in 16 games and scored one goal and three points. Port played primarily on the third pairing with his new team and wasn’t exposed as much as when he was in Edmonton. He also appeared in 20 WHL playoff games for Moose Jaw and recorded four assists, helping them win the WHL Championship. As a result, the Warriors qualified for the Memorial Cup. Port played in four games for Moose Jaw and scored a goal and two points. The Warriors lost to the Saginaw Spirit in the Memorial Cup semifinals.

Port has good offensive instincts but needs to work on his overall game going forward. Despite his drop in production with Moose Jaw, he was put in a better position to succeed with his new team. He’s a good skater but needs to add more power and explosiveness to his game.

Port will be returning to the Moose Jaw Warriors next season. After such a great season from them, the question is, will they be able to do it again and be even better this time around? For Port, the focus will be on continuing to improve his game and get better in his own end of the rink.

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I have a few expectations for Port for next year. First, after being traded in each of the past two seasons, I’d like to see him play the entire season for Moose Jaw. It’s great that other teams have thought he would improve their team for the playoffs, but I’d like to see him help the team he’s on be good enough from the start of the season. Second, for him to make Team Czechia’s roster at the World Juniors. Finally, for him to be a little less sheltered with Moose Jaw and be given more responsibility on the ice.

Port is still a number of years away from making it to the NHL. His birthday is in August, so he was one of the younger players chosen in the 2023 Draft. He still has a lot of physical development to do in the years to come. Port will likely be in junior hockey for another couple of seasons before turning pro. If he does, he’ll start in the AHL before hopefully working his way up to the NHL level. So he’s at best four years away from his NHL debut, and possibly more than that.

The Ducks control Port’s rights until June 2025. So while he has a fair amount of time in juniors ahead of him, the Ducks only have another season before they need to decide if they want to sign him to an entry-level contract or not. If Port can have a good to great season in Moose Jaw, then I’m confident the Ducks will sign him. However, if he’s simply okay, they’ll probably decide not to.

The next prospect update will be on forward Artyom Galimov.

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August 17th, 2024