One of the more underrated players in the draft, Lukas Reichel should be a steal in the draft
Lukas Reichel (LW), Eisbären Berlin (DEL)
H: 6’0″ W: 172 lbs
Over the last few years, German hockey has been on a significant rise from NHL star Leon Draisaitl then Moritz Seider last season and now projected top-3 pick Tim Stützle, there’s another talent being left out of the conversation in Lukas Reichel. The nephew of Robert Reichel who played upwards of 800 games in the NHL, the hockey bloodlines are there for the talented German.
Not a regular in draft circles prior to his draft season as he was tucked away in the German U20 league, Reichel came into his own in his draft season. Not thought of going into the 2019-20 season as a regular in the DEL, Reichel found a regular top-6 role in Berlin.
2019-20 Recap
GP: 42 G: 12 A: 12 P: 24 +/-: -2
Reichel immediately found his footing in the DEL despite only being 17-years-old for the whole season. One of three German draft-eligibles for this year’s draft, alongside Tim Stützle and John-Jason Peterka, and the gap between Stützle and Reichel was smaller than Reichel and Peterka. Reichel found a way to produce at a high level.
While he did play a significant role for Berlin he didn’t crazy high minute totals with 12:58 per game as fellow draftee Tim Stützle played over 16 minutes.
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Reichel finished 8th in team scoring while playing near 10 games less than regulars, due primarily to the World Juniors. Reichel’s 2.65 points/60 just trails the heralded Tim Stützle who stands at 3.09 points/60. It’s telling of just how underrated Reichel has been during this whole process.
Germany headed into the World Juniors with one of the better teams they’ve ever had and despite making the relegation round they surprised some teams. His 3 goals and 5 points in 7 games ranked 4th among his German teammates and at just 17 he likely has another two years at the tournament. A compilation of his highlights at the tournament can be seen below:
Strengths
Hockey Sense
Reichel reads the ice very well and his smarts allow him to be such a sound producer offensively. He knows how to pick his spots and is able to find the soft spots in the defence, a reason he had a good goal output of 12. While he is a quick skater, Reichel plays the game at a fast pace also due to his fast processing, he keeps the play going at a high speed.
One of his nicer plays of the year, a tic-tac-toe goal that was one of his prettier plays of the year, his one-touch pass to his open teammate was a thing of beauty:
Dobber Prospects cites Reichel’s hockey sense as a strength on both ends of the ice:
"“Reichel has shown great hockey sense on both sides of the puck; he is already pretty good defensively which is a positive sign for his NHL future. He isn’t all that flashy but he is very efficient”"
Most of the non-flashy players that produce offence are renowned for their hockey sense and Reichel is no exception. The talented winger just finds ways to produce.
Skating
While Reichel doesn’t boast top-end speed he’s very efficient with how he uses his skating, constantly keeping his legs moving. Despite his slight frame, Reichel has a powerful skating stride and is strong on his skates. He is great at using his speed to aid in his pursuit of the puck, especially in the offensive zone, if he can add some weight he could be a terror on the forecheck.
Reichel produced a lot of points off of the rush in his DEL season, his speed was superior to many of his opponents and he was able to capitalize on odd-man rushes. One of the nicer plays I’ve seen during all my evaluations was Reichel’s breakaway goal off of a spectacular lob-pass by his defenceman.
His great skating allows him to beat his opponents to the bouncing puck and eventually finish off the pretty goal. Reichel’s speed will be an asset at the next level.
Weaknesses
Strength
A worry with many prospects, Reichel tended to be overpowered at points by stronger defenceman, causing him to lose his fair share of loose puck battles. This isn’t due to lack of effort because Reichel never shys away from contact but sometimes the battles are impossible to win versus players with “man strength”.
He took a fair share of big hits during his first year of pro hockey but that’s to be expected, especially with a small frame. This weakness isn’t expected to follow him much though as this will be a point of emphasis for him to improve for any team that drafts him. If he can gain 10-15 pounds he likely slides in at a healthy NHL weight.
Should Ottawa Target Reichel With NYI Pick?
Absolutely, in such a deep draft there’s expected to be some players dropping to the late first-round that likely wouldn’t be there in previous years and Reichel is a prime example. With his great production in pro hockey most would think of him as a top-20 lock, but most mock drafts and scouting rankings have him in the late 20s and into the 30s so it is for sure possible Ottawa has a chance to select him in the late first-round.
Ottawa is in need of offensive talent and Reichel would provide just that, along with a future top-6 option in the following years. One of the better options at forward late in the first would be Reichel and smart/competitive playing style would fit Ottawa’s draft preferences.