Jakub Liba

Player Overview Jakub Liba is an 18-year-old Slovak forward competing at the U18 level with HC Presov, a player whose draft positioning will depend heavily on how evaluators weigh his playmaking tendencies against a concerning underlying defensive metric.

Current Production Over his last 10 games, Liba has posted 0 goals and 4 assists for 4 points, indicating a facilitator profile rather than a primary scorer, though his minus-7 plus/minus over that same stretch raises legitimate questions about his effectiveness at both ends of the ice.

Key Attributes The 4-assist, 0-goal split in recent games suggests Liba's value centers on read-and-react playmaking — finding open teammates rather than generating his own shot. His ability to accumulate assists at the U18 level points to above-average vision and puck distribution instincts. However, the minus-7 differential implies either positional lapses defensively, poor deployment, or both — a distinction scouts will need to clarify through film review.

2026 Draft Outlook Based on available data, Liba projects as a late-round or undrafted candidate unless scouts can contextualize the heavy negative plus/minus through situational factors such as team quality or sheltered deployment. The single most critical area for improvement before June is his defensive structure and zone-exit responsibility, as NHL organizations increasingly discount playmakers who carry significant liability in their own end.