The Nashville Predators have added another undrafted European free agent, signing defenseman Filip Pyrochta to a two-year entry-level contract. Pyrochta has spent the last two seasons in the Czech professional league, and is on the roster for the current IIHF World Championships.
Pyrochta is an odd case for an undrafted player, as it’s not like he was an unknown to teams in North America. Ranked #87th by Future Considerations for the 2014 draft, he had been a top performer for the Czechs at the U18 World Juniors for two consecutive years. After going undrafted the first time around, he came across anyway and joined the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres where he recorded 31 points as a rookie. Still, he wouldn’t be selected and eventually found his way back to the Czech Republic where he has success.
A prototypical puck-moving defenseman, Pyrochta may still have trouble adjusting to the North American game when he jumps to the AHL next season. The NHL could even be out of reach for him if he proves he can’t handle the grind of his defensive responsibilities. Still, at the very least the Predators have added more skill to their minor league system for relatively no risk. For a team that is already finding success at the highest level, moves like this only strengthen their organizational depth.