This group is mostly about players I see as potential future stars of the national team. Six in this group experienced a double-digit jump in the rankings. We also have our highest-ranked debut on the list for 2023. As we get into the top 30, the gap between players starts to get much bigger as we separate solid PHL players in the present day and top prospects.

Players had to be under the age of 23 and at least 16 years old on June 1st, 2023. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. Skaters must have played at least five games to be considered. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. 188 players were considered for the list and reviewed. Eighty players received a ranking.

Players 80-41

Players 40-31

Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2022, change in rankings) 

30 – Patryk Zubek (D), 16, HC Banska Bystrica U18, (NR)

Zubek comes in as our highest-ranked debut player for 2023. I usually avoid ranking players this young. A lot can happen in these age 16 and 17 seasons which gives you a better idea of the player. Many players don’t even really emerge until the age of 17. Look at any pre-draft rankings that are a year or two out and see how much they change. Zubek has a chance to be really special for Poland, and I dare attach the NHL potential to him. This year, in his age 15 season, the defenseman was a force in the Slovak U18 league. He posted 39 points (12G-27A-39PTS) in 51 games, which was six more than any other defenseman. We only have one production match who is also still playing junior hockey in the WHL and a 2022 NHL draft prospect. The big advantage Zubek has is his size at 6’2. If he adds a few more inches in the next few years, NHL scouts will be very excited about this prospect. He started playing U18 exhibition matches for Poland last year, and I expect him to be a major part of this year’s squad. 

29 –  Hubert Szarzynski (D), 18, Nacka HK J18, (66, +37) 

From one promising defenseman abroad to the next.  Szarzynski has played in Sweden the past few years and made the big move last offseason to the Nacka HK junior program. By making the move, Szarzynski had a chance to compete in the top level of Swedish U18 hockey. His club performed well enough in the J18 region to advance to the J18 Nationell. Between the two leagues, he posted 13 points (1G-12A-13PTS) in 35 games, with most of his points coming in the Nationell. We have tons of production matches to compare his season to, and it looks good. 4.65% of his matches became regular NHL players, while 20.63% became regular in the NHL or SHL. Now, the largest group was those who only became regular in the third level of Sweden, the HockeyEttan, at 30.72%. Szarzynski should get some attention on draft eligibility pre-season boards, but his next season is huge. That is partly why it’s shocking that the Poland U18 team has not given him a larger run. 

28 – Karol Sobecki (D), 18, GKS Tychy, (59, +31)

The Polish U18 captain is up next in our rankings. The young defender has already played a lot with GKS Tychy in the PHL. This year, he played in 18 matches, making him only the eighth U18 defender since 2010 to appear in 10-plus games for a PHL club. At the U18s, he showed he is poised beyond his age defensively. Sobecki also had a strong tournament offensively, especially on the powerplay. During the event, he scored once and assisted on two more while firing off nine shots, leading Polish defensemen. Sobecki has a lot of potential, and if Tychy keeps giving him top-level playing time, he could reach it. 

27 – Mateusz Ubowski (F), 23, GKS Tychy, (35, +8)

Ubowski moves up our rankings to a top 30 placement in his final year of eligibility. The Tychy native tops out at number 27 after posting four points (3G-1A-4PTS) in 37 games this year. The 6’1 forward has found a more permanent spot on GKS Tychy and was able to keep his spot during the playoffs. Ubowski is a player who would likely get a decent role on another PHL team, but he will have to continue fighting for more time on a top team. That will be challenging with more young players coming for Tychy. Ubowski needs to cement his spot this upcoming year. 

26 – Oliwier Kurnicki (D), 19, SMS Torun, (73, +47) 

Kurnicki takes a massive jump in the rankings, moving up 46 spots. Torun seems to be developing some strong young defensemen, and Kurnicki looks primed to become a solid part of the defense in 2024. This year in the PHL, the Elblag native posted three assists in 18 games. This actually placed him in a tie for second for U20 scoring. He also finished third in MHL scoring for defensemen with 25 points (9G-16A-25PTS) in 22 games. His strong club season also saw him play a strong part in the Polish U20 squad defense. Kurnicki added another three assists to his strong offensive season at the event. In Slovenia, I was impressed by his penalty-killing ability, and he put his body on the line blocking quite a few shots. 

25 – Karol Sterbenz (F), 21, HK Poprad U20, (30, +5)

Sterbenz spent a second year in the top level of Slovak junior hockey. In 45 games, he recorded 14 points (6G-8A-14PTS). This was down two points from his first year in the Slovak league. He started out the year pretty strong as well, recording two goals and six assists in 17 games during the first two months of the year. During this stretch, he also had a little power play time. He earned a spot on Poland U20 and would post two goals and two assists in Slovenia. When he returned to Poprad, his season took a minor downturn production-wise. In the final 28 games, he would only record six more points (4G-2A-6PTS). His shot production also went down from 1.94 per game to 1.54. Its a tale of two seasons on one of the best clubs in the Slovak junior leagues. Sterbenz is headed home to Poland this year, being one of the young players Cracovia added. While he might not project to be an impactful player outside Poland, I think he will do well back home. 

24 – Szymon Maćkowski (F), 20, KH Torun, (68, +44)

Maćkowski is another player with a massive rise in part due to playing full-time in Poland’s top league. After spending the previous season with SMS PZHL Katowice, he returned to the Torun system. With KH Torun, he posted five points (4G-1A-5PTS) in 35 games. This was the most by any U20 skater in the league. His strong year in Poland earned him his second appearance on the Polish U20 squad. The team’s assistant captain recorded one goal and two assists at the event. I would have liked to see a bit more from him offensively in Slovenia. He only fired off two shots, both coming in Poland’s blowout of South Korea. Maćkowski projects well inside Poland and should be expected to take another step this year with Torun. 

23 – Bartosz Florczak (D), 21, STS Sanok, (58, +35)

Florczak was a PHL defenseman last year, a bit out of necessity for Sanok. He had a lot of good offensive skills, but I didn’t think he was senior hockey-ready, especially on the defensive end. In 2023, he took the major step I was hoping for. He showed much better play at both ends of the ice. The young defender posted seven points (2G-5A-7PTS) in 37 games. His seven points were tied for second among U23 skaters and tied for first among Polish U23 defensemen. He formed a good pairing with another star young defenseman, Karol Bilas. If Florczak continues to grow and shows the same poise as this year, I could see the best in Poland or clubs abroad start to take a look. 

22 – Igor Tyczyński (G), 18, Team Poland U16, (56, +34)

Projecting goalies is hard, but Tyczyński is a goalie I am willing to put a lot of stock in. I was really excited to see him with team Poland since year at the U18s, and he delivered. During the U18s, he posted a .918 SV% in five appearances. The event’s highlight was his 41-save performance that stole Poland a win versus Austria. He showed strong play throughout the tournament. Tyczyński spent most of his club season with Poland U16 in the Czech U17 second level, playing in 23 games and recording a 2.41 GAA. Again goalie development can be a mystery, and the history of this list shows that well. Still, I have a lot of faith in the young Polish goalie, and I think the junior team will at least be secure for the next couple of years. 

21 – Jakub Prokurat (F), 22, KH Torun, (13, -8)

Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond? Is it better to get a lot of ice time on a worse club or play on the fourth line of a premier PHL team? Either form of the question is something I ponder with Polish players often. Prokurat experienced both of those this year. He started the year with GKS Katowice, going pointless in 19 games, but finished the year in Torun, posting four points (1G-3A-4PTS) in 19 games. He bounced around the Torun lineup and received a few games on the first line. Just a few years ago, Prokurat posted 23 points in Germany’s Oberliga, and I hoped to see his production transition to the PHL much easier. He is staying with Torun for 2024, and he is a player I would watch break out.

Next Part: Players 20-16

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