The third best German player entering the NHL Draft, Reichel has jumped in the rankings this season and could be someone the Flyers snag late in the first round.
Profiling players that could be available to the Flyers is difficult when we don’t know where they’ll finish in the playoffs. They currently hold the 26th pick in the draft. So the easiest thing to do is look at players who have a chance to be drafted in that area. That leads us to Lukas Reichel.
When looking at German players who will be eligible for the draft, the first name on the list isn’t Reichel. That honor belongs to Tim Stutzle. J.J. Peterka is also high on the list as well. So Reichel hasn’t been getting as much attention as the two players mentioned above.
The 18-year-old has found his game playing with Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL. In his first season in the DEL, Reichel managed to earn himself playing time between the second and third lines. He showed off an early scoring touch, grabbing 15 points in 23 games.
That pace slowed off a bit as he finished the season with 24 points in 42 games. But making it the whole season in the top-league was an accomplishment in itself. The most surprising fact is that he finished just 10 points behind Stutzle. Reichel posted more goals (12) that Stutzle (7) as well.
Reichel finished with the most goals in the DEL by a player under the age of 20. He was second in both assists and points, behind Stutzle in each. His 0.57 points-per-game pace would also rank him second among the young group of players.
The problem simply seems to be separating himself from his German counterparts. While he has shown a knack for scoring at the World Juniors, he was unable to shine over players like Stutzle and Peterka. He did have three goals and five points during the tournament.
As we’ve mentioned with other draftees who could be available to the Flyers, Reichel has excellent skating and puck-handling abilities. He can work the puck in tight as most of his goals have come from close in. His quick hands and feet have helped him get away from opposing players.
It’s his defensive game and strength that need work. He is known to rarely lay a hit and has almost no penalty minutes to his name. While that is a good sign of his discipline, it could also show his lack of physical ability. He is easily knocked off the puck by bigger players and hasn’t shown much ability to fight back. However, he did just recently turn 18. So he is still likely to grow more into his body as he develops in the DEL.
The Flyers don’t have much history when it comes to German-born players. They’ve only had three players on their roster that were of German descent. They were Willie Huber (1987-88), Dennis Seidenberg (2002-06), and Rob Zepp (2014-15).
They could add another to the list with Reichel. The young German has made his way up the rankings for a reason. He has drawn comparisons to Dominik Bokk, who was drafted in a similar area in 2018. He projects to be a middle-six winger if he is to reach the NHL.
The Flyers would be in no rush to bring Reichel over as he needs the time to develop more of his game. Right now, it’s hard to see him succeeding in the NHL with just his offense alone. He’ll need to work on his 200-foot game and add on more strength to be able to survive the physical side of the NHL.
If the Flyers end up staying around the 26th pick, Reichel could be a player they take a look at.