Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Karel Vejmelka played for the Czech second division club SK Horacka Slavia club in his hometown of TrebIc. He had a 2.18 goals against in seven games for the club’s U18 team. Vejmelka played 24 games for the SK Horacka Slavia U16 club, posting a 2.41 goals against and .904 save percentage.

2011-12: Vejmelka played at three different levels for SK Horacka Slavia as a 15-year-old and played for the Czech Republic’s national team at the U17 and U16 levels. Playing in the Czech U20 second league he had a 2.00 goals against and .852 save percentage in two games. Vejmelka played 17 games in the U18 second division and had a 2.87 goals against and .892 save percentage. Playing 13 games for MD Trebic’s U16 team in the top division he had a 5.37 goals against and .885 save percentage. Vejmelka appeared in one game with the Czech U17 team and in eleven games with the Czech U16 team he had a 4.62 goals against and .858 save percentage.

2012-13: Vejmelka moved up to HC Pardubice in the top division — skating for the club’s U18 team — and played in five games for the Czech U17 team. He had a 2.60 goals against and .926 save percentage with two shutouts in 17 regular season games and allowed four goals in his only playoff game with HC Pardubice. In five games with the Czech U17 team he had a 5.35 goals against and .848 save percentage.

2013-14: Vejmelka played for HC Pardubice’s U20 team and represented the Czech Republic at the U19 and U18 levels. In 34 games for HC Pardubice he had a 2.54 goals against and .933 save percentage with one shutout. Splitting the goaltending duties with Vitek Vanecek at the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, he was 0-2 with a 2.01 goals against and .929 save percentage. In three games with the Czech U18 team prior to the 2014 World Junior Championship he had a 3.33 goals against and .879 save percentage. Vejmelka was ranked 14th amongst international goaltenders in the Central Scouting final rankings but was not selected in the 2014 NHL Draft.

2014-15: Vejmelka made his debut in the Czech Extraliga — appearing in seven regular season games for ninth-place HC Dynamo Pardubice — and sharing the goaltending duties with veteran Robert Kristan in the post-season. He appeared in three second division games on loan to SK Horacka Slavia Trebic and was the starting goaltender for the Pardubice U20 team. He was 4-3 with a 2.86 goals against and .923 save percentage during the regular season for Dynamo. In six playoff games he was 3-3 with 1 shutout and had a 3.02 goals against and .916 save percentage. Vejmelka was 1-2 with Horacka Slavia posting a 1.36 goals against and .953 save percentage. In 37 regular season games for the Pardubice U20 squad he was 22-15 with 2 shutouts and had a 2.54 goals against and .928 save percentage. In his second year of draft eligibility, Vejmelka was not among the 10 international goalies in the Central Scouting final rankings when he was selected by Nashville in the fifth round (145th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Talent Analysis

Vejmelka is a big, 6-foot-3 goaltender who tends to profit from his size and uses it well in the net. His saves are not the most acrobatic, but he does a great job of keeping the puck from crossing the goal line by not quitting on a play and getting himself in front of second and third chances.

Future

Vejmelka attended prospect camp with the Predators before returning to the Czech Republic. He will compete with veteran Robert Kristan and 24-year-old North American import Brandon Maxwell for playing time with HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Extraliga and could be loaned to a second division club for at least part of the season. He has the tools to be a successful NHL goalie one day but as with any young goaltender more will be known about his potential as he sees playing time at the pro level.

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