04-01-2023, 03:55 AM(This post was last modified: 04-04-2023, 11:50 PM by CptSquall. Edited 2 times in total.)
I wanted to take an in depth look at the path of my previous player, Eddie Kastrba, in the time that I was away from the site.
Back in s60 I created Eddie with high hopes that he would blossom into a star Shutdown Defenseman in the SHL. He was drafted to the Carolina Kraken in the s60 SMJHL Draft, being selected as the 6th pick in the 3rd round, 30th overall. Eddie developed quickly in his rookie season… but posted a somewhat lackluster stat line for the 5th place, second round exit Kraken. He was then drafted as a prospect for the Manhattan Rage, 11th overall as one of Manhattan’s 4 picks in the first round, in the s61 SHL Draft. Once again Eddie showed promise in his development during the next season and Carolina exhibited some trust in him as he averaged the top 3 in time on ice for the team, becoming a staple of their Penalty Kill. The Kraken would continue their trend of a 5th place, second round exit team. s62 brought more of the usual for the young defenseman… decent development, top pair and Penalty Kill minutes. Carolina takes a step forward, finishing in 4th place and getting out of the second round but ultimately falling to the Newfoundland Berserkers in the third round. It was in the offseason before s63 that Eddie Kastrba’s development hit a brick wall. For me, the user behind Eddie, life got in the way and my priorities were elsewhere.
s63: Eddie continues his SMJHL stint with the Carolina Kraken.
Eddie has another decent season and leads the team in Takeaways and Hits. He also finishes top 5 on Carolina in Penalty Minutes, Time On Ice, Penalty Kill Minutes, and Shot Blocks. The Kraken fall to 6th place at the end of the regular season and exit in the first round of the playoffs, only winning 2 games in their series against the Detroit Falcons. Eddie has a rough time in the postseason, putting up the following stat line:
s64, the last season of his Juniors eligibility, is a career defining season for Eddie Kastrba. He posts personal bests in a slew of categories he deems useful for a Defensive Defenseman. He also sees consistent time on the Powerplay. Eddie leads the Kraken in Short Handed Assists, Time On Ice, Average Time On Ice, Short Handed Time On Ice, Takeaways, Shot Blocks, and Defensive Game Rating… as well as finishing top 5 on the team in Assists, Power Play Assists, Power Play Time On Ice, and Hits. The Kastrba name can be seen on the league leaderboards under Short Handed Assists, Time On Ice, Average Time On Ice, Short Handed Time On Ice, and Shot Blocks. Eddie receives an Alexis Metzler nomination, the award given to the top defensive defenseman, for his efforts. Carolina falls even farther, finishing 11th in the league, yet squeaks into the playoffs and manages to take their first round series 4-2 against Maine. The Berserkers once again get in the way as the Kraken are defeated 1-4 in the second round. Kastrba struggles once more in these games:
With his Juniors career over and his development stifled, you’d assume Eddie Kastrba’s time in the league had come to an end. He sits out s65 after not being re-signed to Manhattan for obvious and fair reasons. But, through some sort of miracle for Eddie, the SHL falls on some less than ideal times and some rosters need to be rounded out. He is offered an IFA contract by the Texas Renegades and he suits up as a fill-in for s66.
Even though the defenseman is no more developed than a top tier SMJHL player, Texas gives him a chance as a depth piece on their back end. The season goes pretty well for Eddie, relative to the caliber of player he is and the success of the team. He puts up an average amount of points compared to his career, which is great considering the higher level of talent in the SHL. He continues to see Penalty Kill minutes, has a decent Giveaway/Takeaway ratio, and even tops the team in Shot Blocks. The Renegades finish 15th in the league and slip into the playoffs, being swept in the first round by Chicago. Eddie doesn’t do too much in the postseason, but neither does the rest of the team:
Eddie is given another chance in the SHL but it doesn’t amount to much. The gap in talent proves to be too much for him as he posts the worst statline of his career. Still, he’s trusted as a member of the Penalty Kill and puts up a solid amount of Shot Blocks. Not much more to say about this less than spectacular performance. Minnesota finishes in 16th place during the regular season and fails to make the playoffs.
s68 would be the last time Eddie Kastrba sees the ice and he later retires on the cusp of s70, paving the way for his little brother Alexej. All in all I’d call Eddie’s career a mild success. While I wish I was able to stick around, I do think this article brought some interesting things to light. I’m happy to know Eddie could be considered a good, if not great, Shutdown Defenseman in the SMJHL… and I’m also intrigued by the time he spent in the majors. I think Eddie’s time in Texas shows that a solid build can potentially be more important than total TPE. I also believe that knowledge makes it easier to think that it’s worth it to keep on truckin through a career even if you fall behind in TPE, or have to take some time away from the league for any reason.
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