[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems):

RW Lukas Sawchyn (5'10",174lbs)
Edmonton (WHL): 66gp/ 15g/ 40a/ 55pts, +8, 27 PIM

Gracyn Sawchyn's little brother Lukas (ranked # 119 NA Skaters), a graduate of Shattuck-St.Mary's two season ago, ended up 3rd in scoring on the Oil Kings- who finished the season 11th out of 22 teams in the WHL this year, and took the Prince Albert Raiders to 7 games in the playoffs en route to being eliminated (Lukas missed 2 post-season games, and finished with 3 points in 5 games). In 2023-24, Lukas tried his hand in the USHL with the rebuilding Chicago Steel, but wasn't able to make much of a dent, posting only 4 goals and 15 points in 60 games. The Sawchyn brothers play together on the Oil Kings, and have some of the same traits; Lukas is a solid two-way performer with dynamic puck-skill, and some grit. His hands are lightning-quick, among the best in this draft-class, and he could probably stickhandle in a phone booth- he can deke and dangle around opponents in traffic, handle around outstretched sticks, catch smoothly in-flight, and he can keep remarkable control of the puck at top-speed. He can manipulate defenders at attacking speed with his handling wizardry, weave in-and-out of traffic with the puck seemingly glued to his blade, and creates extra room with slick one-on-one moves, deception in shifts of weight, and changes in pace and direction. In addition, he reads gaps adroitly, exhibiting good spatial awareness, and processes quickly.

Sawchyn has a fairly good shot that he definitely needs to use more often, and he score from seemingly any angle, but when it comes to putting the puck in the net he's more of a finisher who scores in-close- and he owns soft hands to deke out netminders for highlight-reel goals. He makes frequent appearances in the slot, attacks the middle with aplomb, and drives the net fearlessly. Though he's fairly balanced offensively and possesses solid awareness, it's obvious from his stats that he's more of a pass-first player; he's a quality set-up man and a skilled distributor, showing good space-creation with give-and-go plays, with the ability to draw defenders in order to pry open passing lanes. Sawchyn skates well with above-average speed and fluid mechanics, but he lacks a separation gear, and could use more explosiveness in small-areas. He makes good use of his smooth edges to pivot quickly, maneuver through traffic with shiftiness, spin off of checks, and evade hits. Though he gets criticism for his lack of pace at times in transition, he can skate complex routes through the neutral zone while bypassing defenders on the rush, using delays and hesitations to open space for teammates, and moving the play along with connective passing. He can enter the zone up the middle to force defenders back, thereby opening space at the top of the zone, and will sometimes cut-back upon entry to wait for the right play to develop.

Sawchyn plays with energy, has an aggressive mindset, and is driven by a relentless motor. Though he isn't quite as rambunctious or fiery as his brother, he doesn't back down from the rough stuff, and in fact- he displays a solid board-game, gives second-and-third efforts to win pucks, moves through contact, throws hits to dislodge possession, and battles hard for positioning in front of the net. With a stocky build, he is difficult to knock off the puck, and plays with grit and tenacity- using physicality on the forecheck to disrupt, and force errors. Sawchyn is a solid defensive player who attacks puck-carriers, wields airtight positioning, and displays combativeness in limiting time and space- launching himself into battles, sprinting to loose pucks, and throwing his weight around when needed. Sawchyn is guilty at times of trying to do too much, and often tries to force plays that aren't there. There are also times of indecisiveness where he can hold on to the puck for too long, and then run out of real estate. Going forward, he will need upgrades to his strength, skating, and shot- but I think he's being a little underrated. Look for him in the middle-rounds.