NHL Draft Prospect Report: Eduard Sale

Eduard Sale is a young hockey player who is currently being touted as one of the top prospects in the upcoming 2023 NHL draft. Born on April 23, 2005, in Brno, Czech Republic, Sale began playing hockey at a very young age and has since developed into a highly skilled player with a range of impressive attributes.

Sale is currently projected to go ninth overall to the St. Louis Blues. Let’s examine some of Sale's best attributes as a player.

What makes Eduard Sale such a remarkable player? Here are just a few of his best attributes:

Speed and agility

One of the most impressive things about Eduard Sale's game is his speed and agility. He is a quick skater who is able to move with ease around the rink. This allows him to make fast and agile moves to evade opponents and make quick passes to his teammates.

His speed also enables him to break away from defenders and score goals on fast breaks. Sale's agility is particularly impressive, as he is able to change direction quickly, make sudden stops, and start to throw off defenders. This is something that will easily translate to the NHL.

"He’s a smooth skater who is noticeable in transition for both his ability to weave up ice and facilitate and also his ability to create breakaways for himself and beat goalies one-on-one. He’s got superb vision and ranks among the best in the class at dissecting coverage as a passer."- Scott Wheeler (The Athletic)

Shot accuracy

Another of Eduard Sale's standout attributes is his shot accuracy. He has a powerful and accurate shot that he is able to unleash from a variety of positions on the ice. Whether he is shooting from the blue line, the slot, or the goal line, he is able to put the puck on target with great precision. This makes him a valuable asset in the power play, where he can create scoring opportunities with his accurate shots.

“While Sale does an excellent job of keying up those passing lanes, we aren’t seeing him find the back of the net regularly in Czech league play. His success with his shot is far more constant in international play."- Josh Tessler (Smaht Scouting)

Stickhandling

Eduard Sale is also a very skilled stickhandler. He has excellent puck control and is able to maneuver around defenders with ease. His stickhandling skills allow him to create space for himself and his teammates, which is particularly important in tight games where every inch of ice counts. Sale was able to use his stickhandling skills to maintain possession of the puck and make smart plays that created scoring opportunities.

Physicality

Finally, Eduard Sale is a physical player who is not afraid to throw his weight around. He has good size and strength, which allows him to battle for the puck along the boards and in front of the net. Sale is also willing to deliver hits and play a physical game, which makes him a valuable asset in all situations.