Sportsvival continues to work through the 2026 NHL Draft class, and Adam Novotny looks like one of the more projectable winger bets in the first-round mix. The Czech left-shot forward brought real pro experience from Mountfield HK to Peterborough, then turned in a strong OHL season while continuing to log important international minutes for Czechia.
Player snapshot
Adam Novotny is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound left-shot winger with the Peterborough Petes, born Nov. 13, 2007. NHL Central Scouting’s final 2026 rankings placed him 14th among North American skaters.
Background
Peterborough selected Novotny eighth overall in the 2024 CHL Import Draft. Before coming to the OHL, he already had experience against men in Czechia’s top league, skating in 41 regular-season games for Mountfield HK in 2024-25 with 1 goal and 2 assists, then adding 2 goals in 10 playoff games. Go back one more year and the offensive upside is obvious: he had 59 points in 48 games for Mountfield HK U20 in 2023-24.
2025-26 production
In his first OHL season, Novotny posted 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points in 58 games for Peterborough. He also finished with 8 game-winning goals, and NHL.com highlighted that by late December he already had 13 power-play points, 132 shots on goal, and 6 game-winning goals in just 29 games.
Strengths
The first thing that stands out is the NHL build and the way he moves in that frame. NHL Central Scouting’s Nick Smith praised Novotny’s “speed and quickness” for his size and said his “motor and compete level are off the charts.” That shows up in the way he plays: direct routes, pressure on defenders, willingness to get inside, and a shot-first mentality that translates well to wing.
He also looks comfortable playing a pro-style game. Novotny is not just a perimeter scorer padding junior numbers. He already has experience in Czechia’s top pro league, he has produced on the power play, and he handled meaningful World Junior minutes for Czechia. That combination of size, pace, scoring touch, and pro background is why he feels like a relatively sturdy projection.
Areas to improve
Sportsvival would still like to see a little more creation with the puck on his stick. Novotny’s game already works because he is direct, competitive, and built to win pucks and finish plays, but the next step is becoming more consistently dangerous as a playmaker through traffic and not just as a finisher off pressure, speed, and inside positioning. Based on his current profile, that added layer is what could push him from a solid NHL winger projection into a more clear top-six ceiling.
International play
Novotny has built a strong international résumé too. At the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship, he recorded 2 goals and 4 assists in 5 games. He also helped Czechia win bronze at the 2025 World Juniors, then returned to the 2026 World Juniors and posted 3 assists in 7 games for a Czechia team that won silver.
Sportsvival NHL comparison
Nino Niederreiter.
That is a style comparison, not a ceiling promise. The appeal is similar: a sturdy left-shot winger who can skate, get downhill, play through contact, work into scoring areas, and be trusted in a straightforward two-way role. If Novotny keeps sharpening the skill layer with the puck, there is enough offense here to become more than just a checking-line body.
Draft outlook
Sportsvival sees Adam Novotny as a first-round winger with a very real chance to become a dependable NHL top-nine forward, with upside to climb higher if the puck skill and playmaking continue to come along. The combination of frame, compete level, scoring results, international experience, and pro background makes him one of the steadier wing projections in this 2026 class.