Pawel Zygmunt Career Continues To Skyrocket

Coming into this year, I had Pawel Zygmunt ranked as the sixth-best U23 Polish player. As I began to create the list for 2020, Zygmunt has certainly moved into a top-five spot and may even have made a case for the number one spot. Zygmunt has been able to play 18 games this year for HC Litvinov in the Tipsport Extraliga. In those 18 games, he has posted 1 goal and 3 assists. While those numbers are not world burning, for Poland the production is just a bit better than how other national team staples fared in their rookie Tipsport Extraliga seasons

Zygmunt also has a couple years on them for his debut season. The 6’3 forward sits seventh in Points-Per-Game among U21 players with ten games in the Tipsport ExtaLiga. In the Chance Liga, the second Czechia league, Zygmunt has 3 points (1-2-3) in 9 games between HC Stadion Litomerice and SK Kadan. HC Litvinov has mostly used Zygmunt has as a fourth-line forward or extra forward. He has mostly averaged around eight minutes a game in the Tipsport Liga, only receiving over ten minutes three times. In the Chance Liga, though Zygmunt has seen his ice time skyrocket with an average just over 16 minutes (Data is missing for one game).

His rookie season in the Czech Republic appears to indicate he will have a future career in leagues stronger than the PHL, but one of the biggest endorsements that the young forward has earned is from Tomek Valtonen. Pawel Zygmunt earned a place on Poland’s roster for the Olympic Qualifiers. Tomek Valtonen had a chance to evaluate Zygmunt earlier this year, at a non-IIHF event. This will his IIHF senior debut for team Poland. Zygmunt will be the youngest player on team Poland for the event, and one of only two born in 1999 (Dominik Pas). Zygmunt maybe relied on heavily as well for Poland, as Patryk Wronka has pulled out of the tournament. This leaves Poland without one of their most talented forwards. Zygmunt’s size and shot may have in line for more offensive chances in Wronka’s absence.