Mrtka was taken with the No. 9 overall pick in last month’s NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old spent the majority of the 2024-25 season with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, scoring three goals and recording 32 assists for 35 points in 43 regular-season games. He also recorded three assists in six WHL playoff games.
Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis called Mrtka, who stands at 6-foot-6, 220 lbs, one of the best “big guy” prospects of this draft class.
“He was a big-time producer with the Thunderbirds and would probably finish with 50 points in a full season,” Ellis wrote. “Tack on the fact he’s 6-foot-6, a right-hand shot, and quite mobile, and there’s a lot to love. That’s the thing about Mrtka – you won’t find many blueliners his size who can accelerate like he can, and the Czech defender doesn’t seem too fazed rushing the puck at speed, either.”
