LA Kings: Lukas Reichel presents intriguing overseas winger

Lukas Reichel is a puckhandling machine who could be a terrific option for the LA Kings in the second round. Let’s take a closer look at the German phenom.

Playing in Germany, Lukas Reichel has been overshadowed by the sensational Tim Stutzle, who is projected to go within the top three picks. However, Reichel has been screaming up draft boards since last summer and now projects to be a late first-rounder or early second-rounder. His father is Martin Reichel, who was drafted 37th overall in the 1992 NHL Draft, but he spent years playing for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers and Frankfurt Lions, serving as an alternate captain for the latter club.

Lukas tallied 42 points in 32 games for the Berlin U20 during the 2018-2019 and held his own against grown men this past year, logging 24 points in 42 games. He had a fantastic performance at the World Juniors, finding the back of the net three times while chipping in two assists as well.

As noted, he could hear his name called in the first round with fellow German skaters Stutzle and John-Jason Peterka. If he slides to the second round, he’d be a great option for the LA Kings.

Measurements

• Height: 6′-0″
• Age: 172 pounds
• Age: 18
• Shot: L

Production

• 2019-2020: 12 G, 12 A (24 points) in 42 games for Eisbären Berlin of the DEL
• 2019-2020: 3 G, 2 A (5 points) in 7 games for Team Germany in the World Juniors
• 2018-2019: 11 G, 31 A (42 points) in 32 games for Eisbären Juniors Berlin U20  of the DNL U20
• 2018-2019: 3 G, 2 A (5 points) in 5 games for Team Germany in the World Juniors

Rankings

• #50 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
• #33 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
• #31 by ISS HOCKEY
• #33 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
• #38 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
• #11 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (EU Skaters)
• #20 by TSN/McKenzie

Breakdown

First and foremost, Reichel is an excellent skater with terrific straight-line speed. He displays great edgework to buy himself more time with nifty puckhandling skills to boot. The 18-year-old is not an overly aggressive skater, and he can make that unnecessary pass when he should be sniping one on net.

But one of the best parts of Reichel’s game is providing support on odd-man rushes up-ice and camping out in front of the net waiting for his teammates to feed him the puck. As a puck-controlling forward, he can make defenders look silly, navigating through traffic while using his body to shield them away from the puck.

Reichel should get bigger as he gets older, which should help him even more, as there were several plays I saw where contact from opposing defenders resulted in him losing the puck. He’s not an overly physical forward, but he can put a hit on someone when needed. Defensively, he has a high hockey IQ to break rushes up with an active stick or to intercept passes in the middle of the ice.

He can make some passes that will raise your eyebrows, finding players in front of the net for a scoring opportunity. Reichel is going to make his NHL team a happy franchise and has the makings of a top-six winger.

Quotables

“A well-balanced and agile skater with excellent vision, a deadly shot, and playmaking skills, Reichel is a German Elite League regular who has performed well above expectations for the Berlin Polar Bears. He’s got breakaway speed and lateral quickness, and good things happen once he can get into open ice. Although Tim Stützle is getting all of the attention as far as draft eligibles from Germany, it’s important to identify Reichel’s production — 24 points in 40 games — and also his 18.5 shooting percentage that is 10th in the league among players with 65 or more shots.” – Steve Kournianos/The Draft Analyst

Pro Comparison

John Tavares (NHL.com)

Videos

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