The Prince George Cougars added skill up front and size on the blue-line Wednesday during the annual Canadian Hockey League import draft.
Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson took a pair of Slovaks, both of whom he expects will be at the Western Hockey League team's training camp next month.
With the fourth-overall pick the Cougars took winger David Soltes, a skilled forward who fills a need the team has on the right side.
The six-foot, 185-pound forward scored four goals and added an assist in six games at the world under-18 championship earlier this year. With his club team in Kosice, Slovakia, Soltes had 13 goals and three assists in just 19 games.
Ultimately, Thompson hopes Soltes will push for a spot on the top two lines with the Cougars.
In the second round, 64th overall, the Cougars selected six-foot-six, 223-pound blue-liner Martin Bobos.
The size of the big Slovak defenceman naturally prompts comparisons with former Cougar and current Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. Thompson hopes Bobos will develop into a similar type of player, but cautioned that growing pains are to be expected as the teenager gets used to the North American style of play.
"Certainly when Zdeno came over it was a little bit of a transition for him and I'm sure it will be for this guy but he seemed to be able to keep up with the speed at the under-17s," Thompson said.
With only one goal and six assists in 34 games with his under-20 junior club team in Kosice, Bobos is considered more of a defensive player and Thompson expects him to play a shutdown role.
Adding Bobos' big body is consistent with the Cougars' off-season game plan of adding size and grit.
This year's draft marked the last time CHL teams could draft European goaltenders. Under a new rule adopted during this off-season only goalies from North American will be allowed in the three major-junior leagues, but the change is being grandfathered in and teams were still allowed to select import goalies in the first round of Wednesday's draft. Only the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League took advantage of the opportunity, selecting Daniel Gibl with the 47th pick.
"If there would have been goalies that teams thought were there, then they would have taken them," Thompson said. "But with only one being selected, it kind of shows you what the crop was like."
The Vancouver Giants had the first overall pick and used it to take German forward Andreas Eder.
With the import draft out of the way, Thompson said the Cougars still have a few player moves they'd like to make before training camp opens on Aug. 23. Prince George will play it's first pre-season home game on Sept. 6 against Edmonton and the regular season home opener is set for Sept. 27 against Kamloops.
