Our number three player was never in trouble of losing a spot in the top three. Playing at such a high level is basically a lock for a high spot. With their performance, I feel they were not in contention for one of the top two. There is a decent-sized gap between spots four and three and then three to two.

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) 

3 – Jakub Lewandowski (F), 22, Bemidji State Univ, (5, +2) 

We rarely see Polish hockey players at the top level of college hockey. Lewandowski is only the second Polish-born player to appear in the NCAA. He is also now just two points away from setting the record for points by a Polish player in college hockey. In his sophomore year, the Torun native secured a full-time spot in the Bemidji lineup. He did not lose it halfway through the season like his freshman year. This would result in 34 games with four goals and three assists for seven points. That put him at 13th among players at his school. In December, he earned his first CCHA Player of the Week award after posting two goals and an assist in a series against Minnesota State. On the education side, for a second straight year, he made the CCHA All-Academic Team.

Jakub Lewandowski scored his first goal of the 2022-23 NCAA season as Bemidji State beat Arizona State 5-3. pic.twitter.com/GLA1wXRHYx

— Polish Puck (@PolandHockey) October 9, 2022

We checked in with our friends at Beaver Territory for their expectations on the tall Polish forward. “Jakub Lewandowski is expected to be in the top 6 at Bemidji State and should be able to find a role on the power play as well.  While his production didn’t improve much from his freshman to sophomore seasons, his size and strength are an asset to an otherwise undersized Bemidji State team. With plenty of opportunity for ice time and, I fully believe Lewandowski will be a key contributor for a team competing for a conference title.”

We love to hear that Lewandowski is poised to have a chance to take on a more prominent role in his junior year. That size and strength are common things you hear among scouts and coaches as well. At 6’3, Lewandowski is the second tallest player on his squad and just a whole one centimeter behind the team leader. That size was probably an aid to helping him block the second most shots on the Beavers. Skating and consistency are often regarded as areas that need to improve. Regarding production comparables, 2.33% became regular NHL players, while 14% were regular AHL or top European league players. Given his size and experience, it would be no surprise to see him get some decent opportunities once his college, likely, career wraps up in two seasons. 

🚨 BEAVER GOAL 🚨

Jakub Lewandowski forces a turnover and scores his 2nd goal of the series to put the Beavers up 1-0 late in the 1st period!!#GoBeavers #BeaverTerritory pic.twitter.com/mPOhICK2m7

— Bemidji State Men’s Hockey (@BSUBeaversMHKY) December 17, 2022

The future with him is hard to project. This junior year will be the key to seeing what his ceiling is. This will likely be his best chance to carve out a significant production role in the Beavers lineup. If he succeeds in the lineup, he may also find himself on the short list of young players considered for a spot on Poland’s squad for the Elite division World Championship. That should be an excellent time to showcase the future of Poland, and Lewandowski is a part of that. Filip Starzyński, the only other Pole to play NCAA hockey, has cemented himself as a part of the national team’s bottom six. That is what I expect from Lewandowski at a minimum, but I still think there is much more for him to achieve.

Next Part: Player 2

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