Kolesar is a big and heavy, versatile forward. He is a big kid whose skating and acceleration are only decent; they have taken some nice strides since we saw him last season, though. In a straight line he gets up to a solid speed, but his agility and first few steps need more attention. He is a versatile forward, playing either wing or even center as needed and willing to play whatever role helps his team. His value is really apparent in the tough areas as he is a monster along the walls, hardly ever losing a board battle. He is physical, throwing some aggressive and meaningful hits no matter the size of the opposition. Dogged on the boards and in the trenches, right through to the whistle. Rough and tumble player. Willing to fight and has the skills to do so but does not go out of his way to look for it. He shows excellent positioning, including while on the penalty kill where he gets into lanes. He is also effective defensively making plays like a well-timed a stick lift or being aggressive and tough to handle on the forecheck. His defensive positioning is rock solid, and he is impossible to strip off the cycle. His smarts and size make him effective even though his feet could use some improvement. A real team player who pays attention to the fine details and will put himself in harm’s way to do what is beneficial for the team. (May 2015)