Czechia forward Adam Benak, a top prospect eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, has drawn tons of eyes in the pro game to himself in only a short amount of time after breaking the all-time record for points at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. One of his newest plaudits is fellow countryman and former Philadelphia Flyers star Jakub Voracek.

Swedish forward Magnus Paajarvi previously held the Hlinka Gretkzy Cup scoring record with 15 points in eight games, then Benak came around. Benak has shattered Paajarvi’s total, amassing 20 points in only nine games.

Voracek took to his Twitter/X account on Friday night to show his support for Benak and Czechia, complimenting the youngster and the Czechia team as a whole.

“Benák is a talent. He got stronger over the summer, the first 3 steps are completely different. For how small he is, he is not afraid to play with his body,” Voracek wrote in Czech, loosely translated to English. “He protects the puck well. The draft, I think top-5. The whole team is unreal. A lot of players who can play and have an excellent hockey IQ,”

As a highly-skilled center, Benak projects as an excellent fit for the Flyers’ needs come next July. The only drawback for the 17-year-old appears to be his size; Benak’s Eliteprospects page lists him at just 5-foot-7, 157 pounds.

That diminutive size doesn’t lend itself well to success at the NHL level, but it’s equally as easy to argue that core strength and style of play greatly outweigh size itself as a factor for success.

Flyers fans may recall the 2019 NHL Draft, where Chuck Fletcher, Brent Flahr, and Co. passed on Montreal Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield in favor of defenseman Cam York. By selecting Caufield, the Canadiens made the 5-foot-7 winger the shortest first-round draft pick in NHL history.

After scoring no fewer than 23 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons and a breakout 65-point campaign in 2023-24, it’s safe to say that Caufield’s size hasn’t held him back from strutting his stuff at the top level.

Because of the disparity between his size and his talent, it’s difficult to project where exactly Benak falls on draft day in 2025. That hinges almost entirely on the way front offices and scouts notoriously operate.

But, if Benak does fall, maybe Danny Briere and the front office heed the words of Voracek, Briere’s old Flyers teammate, and reap the benefits for years to come.

Also, it’s important to remember that the Flyers hold three picks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Depending on where some of those picks fall in the final draft order, the Flyers could certainly be in a position to take a “risk” on a dynamite player like Benak, who comes with some risks, but also obvious talent and upside.