OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC - DECEMBER 28: Germany vs Czech Republic preliminary round action of the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship at Ostravar Arena on December 28, 2019 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)
Lukas Reichel - LW - Eisbären Berlin
Germany is a hockey nation that historically has been off and on as a development house for NHL prospects, but in recent years with added interest, funding, and higher-level coaching hires, the Germans have been creating more young talent than ever before. Headlined by Detroit Red Wings 6th overall pick in 2019 Moritz Seider, 2020 has three names that very likely could be drafted in the 1st round of the draft. Lukas Reichel is the one that has flown under the radar all season, and his strong start to the season with Eisbären Berlin caught my attention. After taking a closer look, I found a very interesting profile that could be a great value pick if his name goes uncalled through the first round.
If you haven’t read the background on my work and approach, please read the embedded article before continuing below.
Once you have read the article, or are familiar with Scouching, here is the full video
Think
Reichel is a sneaky offensive winger. He’s excellent at finding space in the offensive zone, playing with resilience and making plays trying to put points on the board. He shows flashes of being a real play driver moving up the ice but appears much more comfortable at the moment as a strong complementary scoring winger. He’s a rookie playing against men in Germany, so some shortcomings are forgivable, but will need to get stronger on his feet in order to reach his ceiling. His production trailed off as the year went on and was wildly inconsistent in terms of his role while on the ice. Some games he’d attempt 8 passes, some games he’d attempt 20. In his own end, he needs work positionally to hone his play and can wander a bit far from a typical left winger’s coverage zone. His core game is finding open space in the offensive zone, shutting down transitions with his stick in the neutral zone, and getting dangerous chances to score.
Move
Agility is the name of the game with Reichel. His raw speed is good, but he excels at turning up the ice and using his hands to create space for himself. He wasn’t consistent in this area, however and some games seemed to play a far more complementary role and could disappear into the ether a bit. There is a ton of potential with Reichel if he can capture his game at it’s best. A lack of strength on a slight frame can cause him to lose possession of the puck along the boards, but in open ice he can excel at navigating in the neutral zone earning controlled zone entries and exits. Concentrating on agility and puck carrying, with more strength to evade defenders along the boards could take Reichel a long way.
Bad Move
Bad Move 2
Move Pass
Move Pass 2
Get
This is where Reichel could likely use the most work. Transitions coming his way were done with control a little bit too often. He has the speed and agility to close gaps effectively, but it wasn’t there every game. At the same time, there were some games where he was highly effective in the neutral zone stopping play with his stick. He could do well to chase loose pucks with a bit more urgency and confidence, though that likely comes with more strength and experience over time. While he can use his body to shut down defensive cycles, it isn’t a major part of his game, and he will likely need to be at least competent in that area if he is to be an effective player at both ends of the ice.
Get Shot Pass
Get
Pass
Categories that directly result in offense is where Reichel shined the brightest in my tracking work. While in some games, he was far more utilized as a passing option than others, he was more effective as a passer the more he got the puck. In games where he had over 10 pass attempts, he completed 80% or more of those passes. 18% of his pass attempts over seven games were directed at high or medium danger areas. For a professional player that could be available in the 2nd round, his naturally offensive tendencies and completion rates in high usage situations bodes well for future developments. He’s creative, can be dangerous when least expected, but his inconsistency and a lack of urgency at times may hold him back from reaching his potential.
Shoot
Reichel’s shot is quick and generally accurate on it’s own but his best shooting asset is his location selection. Across all seven games, 72% of his shot attempts were from high or medium danger areas. This number trailed just Tim Stützle of all professional level players I’ve tracked this far. Scaled to a per 60 minutes rate however, he took 17 high and medium danger shot attempts, which is far higher than every other prospect I’ve tracked thus far. The next highest player was Alexis Lafrenière’s 13.8. On that measure alone, he shows clear value. Of all shot attempts Berlin took while he was on the ice, 27% of them were Reichel from a dangerous area. For a comparison Tim Stützle measured 11%, and John-Jason Peterka measured 10%. Reichel gets to the areas where goals are scored and gets attempts to do so. This was apparent in every game, on nearly every shift. If nothing else develops, he should at least have the potential to be a no-BS complementary finisher at the next level.
The Best Part
With Lukas Reichel, there’s just so much potential. Looking at him with the context of a raw young rookie in a men’s league, his ability to drive results at his best was nothing short of remarkable. He’s agile, offensive minded, can make a play, can get himself dangerous chances, and there’s already a great set of skills to like. He needs to put it all together more often, but the raw potential and projectability of his game as a whole is tantalizing.
The Good Part
The shot selection is ridiculous. In my work, I’ve noticed that European leagues trend more in the direction of lower danger shots from further out, but Reichel is certainly not that style of player. He finds open space in front if he doesn’t have the puck, and either tries to work into dangerous areas for a shot, or often tries to get pucks to teammates in that area. It’s no-nonsense, and it’s constantly there. I find that mentality to be highly projectable over time, even if the rest of his game doesn’t get rounded out.
The Not-So Good Part
Consistency and strength were the main issues. There were games where he was a bit invisible from time to time, but showed enough in areas you have to be effective in order to be a professional player. He may only become a complementary winger focused on playing in the offensive zone, but with his agility and skill, he could be something more.
Overall
What I loved about Reichel’s game is just how no-nonsense his game is. There’s so much to like and so much to project into the future. He can be an energetic and disruptive winger in the neutral and offensive zones at his best, and is a constant threat offensively, even when used in a more limited role. He moves puck across bluelines with control 68% of the time, which is an excellent metric to work with as well. In an offensive sense, he’s extremely undervalued. He needs to be stronger on his feet if that dynamic ability is to project to smaller, faster North American ice, but as an overall package, there’s a lot to like.
NOTES
Data tracked includes controlled and uncontrolled zone entries and exits the player is involved in, as well as shot attempts, their location, the player's pass attempts, and the percentage of those pass attempts that are directed to high or medium danger areas. The grades referred to in the video are assigned with a number and a letter grade. The number from one through four indicates the general tier of talent, with one being highest, and the letter indicating the consistency around that tier of talent.
Click here for all tracked data from every Scouching Report!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y6dAnYsYQg5f5Zrt0ilo9gR1hfFNIPXl3PuKpubFbrc/edit#gid=664929841
Ranking Breakdown - Think - 1C, Move - 1D, Get - 2C, Pass - 1D, Shoot - 2A, Overall - 2A