Prospect Profile: Jan Mysak

By Thomas Harrington

Acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Jacob Perreault, forward Jan Mysak completed his second career AHL season. He was originally drafted by Montreal in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, 48th overall.

After being drafted by the Canadiens, Mysak played in one season in the Czechia league and also made his AHL debut. In Czechia, he played for HC Litvinov and recorded one assist in 11 games. In the AHL, he scored two goals in 22 games. The following season he played in the OHL and scored 34 goals and 64 points in 61 games for the Hamilton Bulldogs while being one of the team’s alternate captains. He was teammates with Mason McTavish.

In the playoffs, Mysak scored four goals and 11 points in 17 games, helping lead the team to an OHL Championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup. Hamilton made it to the final of the Memorial Cup, where they were defeated by the Saint John Sea Dogs. Mysak scored two goals in five games at the Memorial Cup. The reason Mysak played in so many leagues over these two years was because of the COVID-19 pandemic and how much it disrupted the hockey world at the time.

Mysak also played for Team Czechia at the 2021 and 2022 World Juniors. He had three points in five games at the 2021 tournament and eight points in seven games at the 2022 tournament. Mysak became a full time AHL player in the 2022-2023 season, scoring five goals and nine points in 40 games for the Laval Rocket. Prior to the trade, he scored 13 goals and 20 points for Laval. With the Gulls, Mysak was primarily used on the fourth line, and was a healthy scratch a number of times as well. Overall, he played in 14 games for San Diego and scored one goal.

Mysak doesn’t have a high offensive ceiling, but has put up points with most teams he has played for. He’s a smart player and a good forechecker. Mysak is known as a hard worker but lacks a lot of dynamic qualities. He has the type of game that could translate into a fourth line NHL forward, but it hasn’t happened yet. This coming season, while Mysak has an outside shot at the NHL, I think it is much more likely that he will spend the entire season with the Gulls.

I have two expectations for Mysak this coming season. First, for him to fit in better with his new team. After scoring only one goal, playing primarily on the fourth line, and being scratched a number of times, I want to see Mysak put up some points and be closer to a point every other game, similar to what he did in Laval before the trade. Second, I want him to play more consistently in the lineup and not be a healthy scratch so often.

Mysak has one more year left on his entry-level deal. His initial impressions in San Diego weren’t great, but if he can play better next year he’ll likely have earned himself a contract extension. But if he struggles to score and finds himself on the fourth line or a healthy scratch most nights, the Ducks could choose to not qualify him and let him leave as a free agent.

The next prospect profile will be on goaltender Tomas Suchanek.

Recent Articles:

Mighty Again!

Prospect Profile: Cutter Gauthier

Listen to our show by clicking below or visiting us at Podomatic, Rumble, Spreaker, or YouTube.

Support us by becoming a DucksNPucks patron! Members can win game tickets, Ducks gear, and more!

Want to start your sports media career? Then Join The Puck Network!

DucksNPucks is part of The Puck Network, which covers the entire NHL. There are openings to cover your favorite team(s) and earn school credits! If you are interested, then apply by filling out the form here: Join Our Team. What are you waiting for? Start your sports media career TODAY!

June 18th, 2024