When the Devils selected Pavel Zacha 6th overall they picked him to fill a need: Scoring. Zacha is an insanely skilled offensive player with both size and speed. He could eventually be comparable to Ryan Getzlaf, which has made fans both anxious and excited to see Zacha in the Prudential Center, scoring goals for the big club. The fans, however, may have to wait for this fantasy to become a reality. Zacha just doesn’t seem NHL ready. There are parts of his game (discipline, two way play) that need a little more seasoning. Zacha has the size and probably the offensive skill to play to play NHL hockey, but as we all know, there are more parts to the game than that.

Zacha’s 2014-2015 season in Sarnia was his first on North American ice. Zacha was in a year of transition. He came to Canada with all the skills to be a leading scorer in the OHL but was barely able to play most of the season and, as a result, was less than a point a game player. He seemingly struggled to gain chemistry with his teammates or get himself into a scoring groove. He also showed a lack of discipline, getting suspended twice for illegal hits. This is a little concerning, but can be dealt with. Keeping Zacha in the OHL would allow for him to try to contain himself and get fewer penalty minutes. If Zacha was brought into the NHL with the discipline he exhibited with Sarnia last year, he could hinder the Devils with constant trips to the penalty box and maybe a couple suspensions.

Another knock on Zacha’s game is his two way play. Zacha has habitually adhered to the Ovechkin side of the back checking spectrum at times. Zacha has the size and speed to be a really good defensive center, but he can be lazy and slow getting back into the defensive zone. As shown in this shift by shift analysis video by HockeyPwns Zacha often is the trailing player on the back check and sometimes has problems leaving the defensive zone too early. This is typical of young players as the defensive side of the game is difficult to master. He has the speed to get back, and just needs to work on his effort and defensive instincts. He may continue to lack defensively next year, but it is better to have him work out these kinks in Sarnia than to struggle on the big stage in New Jersey.

Another reason to keep Zacha in Sarnia is to give him some confidence. Zacha is coming off a disappointing year. Rather than rush him to face tougher defenses, let him excel in the OHL and dominate. Let him learn to really tear apart defenses and find that elite scoring touch we know he’s capable of having. Zacha would benefit from the confidence of having a season on North American ice where his stats reflected the type of elite scorer he is. Unlike players of the Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, and Dylan Strome brand, Zacha still has something to prove in juniors. He can still gain a lot from being the star for Sarnia and showing everyone he can dominate games in North America.

Pavel Zacha is an integral part of the future in New Jersey. He will hopefully become the next great superstar for this franchise. To reiterate, he just needs to develop his game a little more. When Zacha plays his first game in The Rock, he should be ready to start contributing on both ends of the ice. When Zacha can finally elevate his defensive game he will be a real force for other teams to reckon with. As stated before, he could become the Czech equivalent of Ryan Getzlaf, if he develops at a proper according pace. He has the size and offensive prowess, but needs the defensive responsibility. Pavel Zacha is the team’s future, not it’s present.