Když nebyl český výběr přizván k únorové přehlídce hvězd NHL na Turnaj čtyř, byl jako hlavní důvod uváděn nedostatek beků, ze kterých už nemáme šanci poskládat tři obranné páry. Uplynulo pár měsíců a z hráčů na soupiskách pro novou zámořskou sezonu nedají Češi dohromady ani kompletní čtyři útoky.
„Jde to pořád dolů, a to není náhoda,“ říká Vrbata, juniorský i seniorský mistr světa, který v NHL sehrál 1057 zápasů a posbíral 623 bodů (284+339). „Letos odešel do NHL jen David Tomášek, zato se vrátili Jakub Lauko a Jakub Vrána. Už předtím v zámoří skončili Filip Zadina a Dominik Kubalík. Spíš pořád škrtáme, než přičítáme.“
S povolávacími rozkazy z AHL to podle Vrbaty také nemusí být bůhvíjaké. „Seattle možná vyzkouší (Eduarda) Šalého, Tampa by mohla povolat (Gabriela) Szturce, ale jinak… Na dvacítkách se mi hodně líbil Jakub Štancl, zatím to u něj ale na zápasy za St. Louis nevidím.“
České fanoušky navíc nepříjemně zaskočily i případy Davida Kämpfa a Matěje Blümela, kteří byli po tréninkových kempech převeleni na farmy. „U Kämpfa je to hodně o penězích, protože Toronto nemá prostor pod platovým stropem. A Blümel asi neukázal tolik, aby ho nechali nahoře. Šance, že bude za Boston hrát, tady ale je.“
Naděje se však upínají k jistotám. „U Pasty záleží na zdraví, u Bruins by měl primárně dělat body on, protože bude hrát všechny důležité situace,“ říká Vrbata o Davidu Pastrňákovi. „U Martina Nečase záleží, jestli bude nastupovat s (Nathanem) MacKinnonem a taky, jestli teď podepíše novou smlouvu. Pokud ano, tak by měl mít relativně klidnou sezonu. Otázka je, jak si to vyhodnotí Colorado. A pak je tu ještě Tomáš Hertl ve Vegas, kde na něj hodně spoléhají hlavně v přesilovkách.“
Tím se ale výčet klíčových českých útočníků vyčerpává. A z mladých se momentálně prosazuje pouze 21letý Jiří Kulich v Buffalu.
„Nemůžeme se moc divit, když doma nic moc neprodukujeme, a nůžky mezi juniorskou a dospělou extraligou se neustále rozevírají. Málokdo dostane šanci a když ano, tak je to spíš nárazové. Adam Novotný, který byl v Hradci, pak před draftem radši odešel do kanadské juniorky, aby se poměřoval se stejně starými hráči. Ale prosadit se i v té juniorské konkurenci není jednoduché. Někdo si třeba myslí, že je hvězda a tam je ale konfrontován s realitou,“ tvrdí Vrbata.
Čeští útočníci na soupiskách týmů NHL
Radek Faksa (31 let, Dallas Stars)
Zápasy: 708. Body: 215 (94+121). Plat v sezoně 2025-26: 2,25 mil. USD
Tomáš Hertl (31, Vegas Golden Knights)
Zápasy: 791. Body: 549 (252+297). Plat: 10 mil. USD
Filip Chytil (26, Vancouver Canucks)
Zápasy: 393. Body: 170 (77+93). Plat: 4,875 mil. USD
Adam Klapka (25, Calgary Flames)
Zápasy: 37. Body: 11 (7+4). Plat: 1,25 mil. USD
Jiří Kulich (21, Buffalo Sabres)
Zápasy: 63. Body: 24 (15+9). Plat: 0,855 mil. USD
Martin Nečas (26, Colorado Avalanche)
Zápasy: 441. Body: 326 (124+202). Plat: 7 mil. USD
Tomáš Nosek (33, Florida Panthers)
Zápasy: 493. Body: 116 (45+71). Plat: 0,755 mil. USD
Ondřej Palát (34, New Jersey Devils)
Zápasy: 825. Body: 505 (177+328). Plat: 4,95 mil. USD
David Pastrňák (29, Boston Bruins)
Zápasy: 756. Body: 833 (391+442). Plat: 12,5 mil. USD
Pavel Zacha (28, Boston Bruins)
Zápasy: 628. Body: 342 (125+217). Plat: 4,75 mil. USD
„To ale není nic proti našim klukům, co jsou teď na hraně NHL a klepou na její dveře. Je potřeba si vážit toho, že tam ty hráče vůbec máme.“
Směrem k únorové olympiádě pak vidí Vrbata jasnou nominaci u sedmičky útočníků z NHL. Kromě kvarteta Pastrňák, Nečas, Pavel Zacha, Ondřej Palát, které už figurovalo v úvodní šestce, by do Milána podle někdejšího kanonýra měli letět i Hertl, Radek Faksa a Filip Chytil.
„Pak se uvidí podle momentální formy, útočníci z Evropy ale budou taky potřeba. A to se nebavíme o obraně, na kterou je horší pohled, protože v NHL máme jen Gudase a Hronka.“
Už z předchozího vyjádření je tak patrné, že Vrbata od českého národního týmu na ZOH nečeká nic převratného. „Na Turnaji čtyř jsem sledoval výborné výkony Švédů a Finů. A to se nebavím o Kanadě a Americe. Velký optimista nejsem, jelikož silný výběr postaví i Švýcaři a nepříjemní budou Němci s Leonem Draisaitlem. Na medaile ale vidím jen mužstva z Turnaje čtyř…“
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