Detroit Red Wings: Expect Filip Hronek to show progress in development

The Detroit Red Wings will witness major improvements in Filip Hronek’s game as he grows into his role on the team’s top pairing.

The Detroit Red Wings will improve in 2020-21, even in another shortened season, but keep an eye on defenseman Filip Hronek. The 23-year old defenseman will show the major strides he has made in his game. He is going to start coming into the role of a top-pairing defender he is capable of being.

Currently, Hronek is back on the ice playing on loan over in the Czech Republic for HK Hradec Kralove, where he is off to an impressive start. Through seventeen games overseas, Hronek has six goals and nine assists for 15 points.

He is also playing for the Czech national team, where he has logged three games, tallying a goal and assist for two points. The Red Wings should be excited to see what Hronek will bring to the table for the organization.

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The hope for Hronek is that he can grow into a true top-pairing defender who can contribute offensively while playing exceptional defense. He may not be a big, imposing, and threatening defenseman like German prospect Moritz Seider.

Hronek stands just 6-foot and weighs in at 183-pounds as a right-handed shot. He was a product of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, a second-round draft choice, to be more specific. However, the 2020-21 season will be just his third season in the NHL and in a winged-wheel uniform.

He played in just 46 games during the 2018-19 season, scoring five goals and adding 18 assists for 23 points. Following that up in 2019-20, Hronek played in 65 games where he notched nine goals and 22 assists for 31 total points on the year.

For the Red Wings, Hronek has been able to lock things down on the top pairing. He will grow into this role the more he plays at the NHL level, and fans should expect big things from in 2020-21. He has proven he can move the puck and quarterback a power-play, that is for sure.

However, Hronek can tighten up his defensive game. Though he is an offensive defenseman, he has to tighten things up defensively, which he is seemingly doing well in his showing over in the Czech Republic.

If Hronek wants to really take the next step, coming out with a strong showing during the 2020-21 season is going to be crucial. But based on the success he is finding over in the Czech Republic, this should be more than likely.

He still does need to prove he can be stronger defensively while still find ways to create scoring chances and do what he does offensively. Since the Red Wings missed out on the Torey Krug sweepstakes, maybe Hronek can create offense like Krug and be similar to him.

The Detroit Red Wings have one of their top pairing players of the future in Filip Hronek; he just needs to show the progress he’s making this upcoming season.