We reached the start of the top five and the last of our players who stayed in Poland during the 2023 season. Everyone from this point on is already a great PHL player or someone I see with potential to be a top-line player for the national team. Separating players here starts to get really hard as the argument of what could be versus what a player is now is always a challenging debate.

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.

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

6 – Jakub Bukowski (F), 23, GKS Tychy (7, +1)

Bukowski is a hard player to rank. It might be surprising to see him go up to six in his final year due to his drop in production. After leading the PHL in regular season goals during 2022, he only scored five times in 2023. He only recorded 11 points (5G-6A-11PTS) in 38 games. So why the move up? There were a couple of reasons for me. The first came down to three players ranked above Bukowski in 2022 departed the rankings. The second is that while the numbers were not great, regression was expected. He would have a minor role in Tychy compared to Sanok, and the shooting percentage would have to drop. His 11 points were still sixth among U23 Polish skaters while battling some major health concerns. It is hard to project many players with the goal-scoring ability he has always shown at the senior level. The Sanok native scored twice in his two matches this year for the national team. Bukowski will be one to continue to watch now that his U23 days are up.

5 – Jakub Ślusarczyk (F), 20, HC Vítkovice U20, (28, +23) 

A player that shows hard work and perseverance really pays off. Ślusarczyk worked his way up the Czech junior system to HC Vítkovice U20. He had a solid rookie U20 year with the team, and now, in his final junior year, the pressure was on. He would go pointless in his first 13 games. That is a rough stretch for any player, especially for a veteran of U20 hockey. A flip would switch, and Ślusarczyk turned it on for the rest of the year. In his final 38 games, he scored 19 goals and assisted on 21 for 40 points. From zero points in just under a third of the season to over a point per game for the rest of it. This earned him a loan to the Czech second league, the Chance Liga. While he got only two games, he scored his first senior league goal. The Tychy native also appeared for Poland U20 at the D1B World Championships, adding another goal and assist to his year. 

After his club season was over, Ślusarczyk continued to play hockey. He joined Poland for the World Cup of University Hockey. At the tournament, he was clearly the best player there. He led the tournament in scoring with 12 points (7G-5A-12PTS) in five games, four more points than any other player. Still not having a contract for his first year out of junior hockey, Ślusarczyk went to camp with the senior HC Vítkovice squad. He earned himself a Tipsport Extraliga contract, making him the fourth Polish player due to do so in 2023. This year, he will likely mainly play in the Chance Liga and Czech U20 league. The future is bright for Ślusarczyk, and I think he has a strong chance of sticking around in Czechia. 

4 – Fabian Kapica (F), 21, Podhale Nowy Targ, (8, +4) 

Kapica comes in as our highest-ranked player to play in Poland during 2023. The talented forward was on a poor Podhale Nowy Targ team. During his time with the blue and yellow, he posted 11 points (5G-6A-11PTS) in 23 games. He was loaned to Cracovia late in the year and was able to add four assists to his year in eight games. His 15 points were the second most by a U23 Polish player. His 0.48 point per game average is the highest by an age 21 player since 2020 and higher than that of Kamil Walega and Jan Soltys from their age 21 seasons. I think the best sign of his strong season was being able to stay producing after his late move to Cracovia. He is an intelligent player and a strong skater. His offensive instincts are his biggest asset. When Kapica was loaned to Cracovia, it was possible to make it a permanent transfer. They have exercised the option, and Kapica will likely be a key player in their young core. I believe he is the best U23 player in Poland’s top league going into the 2023 season. 

Next Part: Player 3

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