A new NHL season is fast approaching, and Todd McLellan‘s squad is among the many teams looking to improve on last year’s performance. To that end, new faces have emerged in the Patrick Kane-led squad—most notably, a young talent eager to follow in the footsteps of a former Detroit Red Wings standout who now plays for the Anaheim Ducks.
Michal Postava, who joined the franchise just weeks ago as an undrafted player, is already making noise after some bold statements about what he hopes to achieve in Detroit moving forward.
In a recent conversation with the media, the Czech goaltender expressed his excitement about making it to the NHL—where he hopes to, in some way, emulate the path of Petr Mrazek, who took his talents to the Anaheim Ducks this past offseason.
“I’m a big fan of all the Czech goalies who played in the NHL,” Postava said. “Hasek was among the first ones I watched. Petr Mrazek is one of them, as well as a lot of other guys.”
Goalie Petr Mrazek #34 of the Detroit Red Wings skates against the Edmonton Oilers on March 4, 2017 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
“Yeah, we were talking maybe three days before he got traded (to Anaheim),” Postava said about Mrazek. “So he was welcoming me and telling me to be proud and try hard every day.”
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Postava’s arrival in the NHL
Michal Postava, a talented goaltender who previously played in the Czech league, joined the Red Wings this offseason after signing a two-year entry-level contract. Taking a major step forward in his career, the new teammate of Patrick Kane expressed excitement about this new chapter.
“I didn’t expect it at all, it was too good,” Postava, 23, said of the NHL attention. “But I’m enjoying every moment, and I’m proud to be a part of this organization.
“There have always been a lot of Czechs here, and they are still active in the organization. Plus, it’s a big club from the Original Six. It’s a huge opportunity for me.”
Fischer’s influence on swaying Postava
When it came time to make the final decision to sign with the Red Wings, Postava revealed that he had a conversation with Jiri Fischer, who currently works in player development for the club.
“I talked to Jiri Fisher, and he was telling me like, everywhere what happens and everything that was done here,” Postava said. “He helped me a lot to get here.”
“I’ve improved a lot. This season, the main thing for me was to stay focused throughout the game and try to win every game. I think confidence was number one,” he finally concluded.
