This year was a pivotal year for Polish hockey. For many players that frequented the list last year or in the years past it was onto full-time professional hockey in Poland or testing their skills in another countries highest junior league, while plenty of players arose to challenge and cemented themselves as future pillars of the national team plenty of players couldn’t live up to their expectations causing drastic changes to the rankings.

This is not the time I wanted to start the list, as the World Championship and U18 World Championship are a great way for players to improve their stock, the U18 World Championship being the first significant exposure for a lot of players. Due to the coronavirus, there are no more tournaments, and hockey is done for the year. Polish hockey itself faces an uncertain future as the virus will leave a lasting effect for years to come.

The real world is a very dark and scary place right now, but I want to look forward to the future while stuck at home. The future of the Polish national team is something that fans should be excited about. I have maintained for years that Poland has more young talent right now then it did any other time this century. I still stand by that opinion today. Poland saw their ace prospect prove himself in professional North American hockey, another NHL draft prospect rise, and a vast increase in depth. Today we start our ranking of the top 50 Men’s U23 players in Poland.

Players had to be under the age of 23 and at least 16-years-old on March 27th, 2020. Players are judged based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While a majority of the ranking is my own opinion, numerous people in the Polish hockey world contributed their thoughts on players. 140 players were considered for the list and scouted. 80 players received a ranking, players 80-51 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 50 players receive a scouting report.

Players 50-41	Players 15-13	Player 9
Players 40-31	Player 12
Players 30-21	Player 11
Players 20-16	Player 10

Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2019, change in ranking

8 – Sebastian Brynkus (F), 19, Cracovia Krakow, (14, +6) 

Krakow has always been a bit of a controversial team in the PHL when it comes to young players, as some have accused them of being too reliant on imports. On the other hand, Aron Chmielewski and Paweł Zygmunt have been able to secure Tipsport Extraliga deals after spending a few years of their early professional careers with Krakow. Brynkus could be the next to follow in their footsteps.

For the past two years, Brynkus has been one of Poland’s most vital forward’s at junior international events. Last season, he posted 20 points in 10 games between the U20 and U18 World Championships. This season he posted seven points (4-3-7) in five games at the U20 World Championship. He ranked third on team Poland for goals and points. He also made his senior international team debut playing in three games at a Euro Ice Hockey Challenge.

 

 

His club season was also quite impressive, with Krakow this year he posted 12 points (6-6-12) in 40 games. This was tied for third, with Igor Smal, for all U20 players. It was first among players under 19 by five points. It is the 24th best season by a u19 player in the PHL since 2000. There is one major concern though. Eight of his points came against Janow or PZHL u23. This is a significant concern for me, as it means just four of his points came against quality competition. His strong international performance and play on the ice is why I will overlook it in my rankings, but it is definitely a concern for the future. He was stuck mostly on the fourth line besides these matches vs. Janow and PZHL u23. Next year, he will likely see a more substantial role meaning more minutes versus stronger clubs. Hopefully, his production against stronger clubs will follow.

His production provides five matches. Damian Kapica, Michał Rybak, Paweł Zygmunt, Patryk Krężołek, and Szymon Skrodziuk. Kapica and Zygmunt are outstanding players capable of playing outside of Poland, while Patryk Krężołek came in at 11th on my ranking and is already a 20 goal scorer in the PHL. Rybak has shown some potential, but never stepped up his game to the next level, while Szymon Skrodziuk had a strong U20 season, but has often been stuck on poor Opole and Janow teams further hurting his development. The matches bold very well for his future projection.

 

 

Brynkus brings a lot to the table, with good size, strong playmaking ability, and a good skater. He really makes the most out of his opportunities at the offensive end. He has the creativity and vision that a lot of Polish players lack. He hasn’t shown it much at the professional level, though part of that is in his deployment. It also may be harder for his game to thrive at the next level as defenders improve and make fewer mistakes. He also proved to be a solid net-front presence this year for Krakow. He still has a bit to go before he can be a top contributor on a PHL team, but based on his play at only 19, I have no doubt he’ll reach that level.

Brynkus could have a huge role next year in the Krakow line up as the team has been hurt by the COVID-19 outbreak. While it appears Krakow has brought back Kapica and is close to deals with Kasper Bryniczka and Mateusz Rompkowski. The team will mostly be comprised of young players. Outside of those three veterans, Cracovia has Antoni Dziurdzia, Dawid Musioł Igor Augustyniak, Łukasz Hebda, Łukasz Kamiński, Mateusz Bezwiński, Patryk Gosztyła, Robert Kowalówka, and Sebastian Brynkus under contract. These young players are going to make up the core of Cracovia Krakow this year. Brynkus will really have a chance to have a shining role in the line-up, which is something most other players didn’t get or won’t at such a young age.

Player #7

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