[Sandman]

Draft Thought:

6'4",181lb LHD Lukas Fischer is the son of former NHLer Jiri Fischer, and with a September 9th birthday, is among the very youngest players in the Draft, missing the cutoff by 6 days. Fischer toils for the Sarnia Sting, who currently sit 17th in the OHL, with the 3rd-worst goals-for, and has managed to post 22 points in 46 games, to go with 46 PIM, to date. Don't sleep on this kid- he's awesome, and is one of the best-kept secrets of the Draft.
Fischer is a true unicorn, as he's a naturally athletic, physical specimen who is a exceptional skater with excellent 4-way mobility. His speed is the cornerstone of his game- he gets around very easily and quickly, pivots smoothly, and is agile and well-balanced. Fischer is a two-way D, who has oodles of potential, and is a stabilizing presence for his team- making few mistakes, and keeping calm under pressure. His size and speed make an impact all over the ice- he's a shutdown defenseman for Sarnia, and plays against the best in the league, but also often quarterbacks their powerplay. He's a good puck-mover, and is getting more comfortable rushing the puck, and there's top-notch vision and playmaking ability in his vast repertoire, but he doesn't get to use it as much he should playing in Sarnia. He also has a hard, accurate bomb from the point. Fischer isn't shy about using his size to his advantage, as he's physical and finishes his checks.
Fischer is a hard player to play against in the neutral, and defensive zones, with his enormous wingspan and his stick- which he uses as a tool to break up plays and clog lanes. He is quick to kill plays defensively, even in the neutral zone, by closing on players with his speed and stick to exert pressure, and remove time and space. He kickstarts the breakout through quick, clean retrievals, and makes smart decisions under pressure that lead to precision passes out of the zone. He employs strong gap control, angling opponents to the boards, closing lanes, and removing options.
I love this kid, and I believe he has huge upside. He could still grow a few more inches too, as his father is 6'5", and his brother is 6'7", and he's still just 17. Right now, he's looking like a bottom-4 defenseman in the NHL, with some puck-moving, and shutdown ability, but he still has time to develop his offense, and make no mistake- the sky is the limit with this one. Who knows what his numbers would look like if he were on a different team. He needs to bulk up and get significantly stronger for the next level, though. I think he gets picked in the early second round, but there's a chance he's taken in the later part of the first. I'm gonna be watching him in the future, for sure.