Draft Day: Albert Luck

With only a few hours until the first pick of the S60 SMJHL Draft, I wanted to shift towards some later gems that could go in the 2nd round or later. Hitting on these depth prospects is just as important if SMJHL teams as getting a top end player in the 1st round. The next player I'm going to talk about is a Austrian born defender who I think will be that player for any team who picks him up.

Albert Luck, born in Vienna to a Austrian Mother and Candian Father. Albert played hockey from a young age and quickly showed signs that he could be something special. Over the course of his childhood Albert worked his way up though the Austrian development system and would “Graduate” with a few other Defensemen who looked to head over to North America to join the SHL and SMJHL.


Albert Luck during his time with the Austrian Development Team

Unlike others who declared for the draft early, Albert did not get to sign as a free agent, no teams came calling. Albert then used this as motivation to keep working out and developing his skills so that he could finally show teams what he could do come the prospect showcase. Unfortunately his team Mexico City performed poorly and finished last. Luck looked respectable during the entire showcase but didn’t have any insane plays, just good hockey.

Now enough of the back story let's get into the real reason you're all here, what type of player is he and how will he impact your team if you draft him? Well in one sentence, Albert Luck is a minute eating two way defender who can be the backbone of any D-core. So to dive in a bit more, Albert has a great eye for the game, he seems to always be on the right side of the puck and able to push attackers to the outside. Albert is 6’3 and 215lbs, which is a nice build for a defender not too big that he is an anchor but not short enough that he’d get bullied by bigger forwards. Right now I see his biggest defensive asset is a mix of his positioning and stick checking, like said before Albert is often in the right place and able to quickly strike at attackers and remove the puck from their sticks.

On the other end of the puck Albert is still a great player with a few tools that can impact the play. He is a great outlet passer able to move the puck well and force a great breakout, when the pass is not there Albert can move the puck on his own he is a good puckhandler. He might not be a first unit PP but can fill in on a second unit as he develops over the next few seasons. Don’t expect a bunch of points from him but also don’t think he will be an offensive black hole.

In the end Luck looks to be a good player who should fall further down the order than expected, he is a high floor prospect who should be a 1st pairing player by his 2nd or 3rd season depending on the quality infront of him. I can say that he’ll have SHL success but at the SMJHL level I think he is a lock. In a few hours we will see what happens and where he goes. Good luck to him and the other prospects!

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Great media piece! Good luck at the draft!