Are you curious to know what the Leafs have in Radim Zahorna? A former NHL analyst identifies his closest NHL comparable
Former NHL Analyst and ex Marlies assistant coach Jack Han hasn't worked in the NHL in a number of years, but he has still remained active in the hockey scene, analyzing players and breaking things down for followers in a way that anyone can understand. On Saturday, ahead of what could be Radim Zahorna's Leafs' debut, Han let fans know what to expect from the hulking forward.
The Leafs acquired Zahorna from the Calgary Flames on March 3rd, just prior to the trade deadline, in exchange for forward Dryden Hunt, whom the Leafs acquired in a deal with the Colorado Avalanche earlier this season. Denis Malgin was the player sent to Colorado in that deal.
Standing at a towering 6'6, (Han had him listed at 6'4, which was slightly outdated), Zahorna is not going to blow anyone away with his production volume, but he hits with authority and one of the details of his game that he excels at, according to Han, is his ability to make plays off of the wall. His 6'6, 220-pound frame, as you can imagine, is very difficult to push off of pucks.
As far as what Han thinks of Zahorna's game and who he might closely resemble, he pointed to fellow Leaf Zach Aston-Reese as a pretty good comparable. Aston-Reese is another one of those guys who, while he can chip in offensively, will not exactly blow anyone away with his offensive stats. He is, however, an astute defender on the wing who does well to push the pace and create havoc for the opposition on the forecheck.
Zahorna has appeared in just 33 NHL games in his career, split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames. He has recorded just 4 goals and 6 assists for 10 points over that span, averaging about 9 minutes and 33 seconds per game in his career. He has also recorded 35 hits over that span and is a +11 in terms of takeaway to giveaway ratio.
Zahorna is 26, so it's not as if he has a ton of room to grow and develop into something more than what he already is, but if he can provide the Leafs and/or Marlies with minutes similar to the ones Aston-Reese plays and produce similar results, that should be viewed as a win for the Leafs.
