We are a little over three weeks away from the 2023 NHL Draft. With trades usually happening closer to draft day than before it, the Flames currently hold the 16th overall pick. The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft will take place on June 28, while the following rounds will occur on June 29.
One player garnering some late first round interest is Lukas Dragicevic, a pure offensive defenceman playing with Tri-City of the WHL. Dragicevic is an incredibly skilled player, always driving play to the offensive zone.
Who is Lukas Dragicevic?
| Player Name | Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lukas Dragicevic | RD | Right | 6’2″ | 181 lbs |
Dragicevic’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | D-1 | WHL | Tri-City Americans | 62 | 6 | 26 | 32 |
| WJC-18 | Canada U18 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 2022–23 | D+0 | WHL | Tri-City Americans | 68 | 15 | 60 | 75 |
| WJC-18 | Canada U18 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Dragicevic had a solid D-1 season, putting up roughly 0.5 point per game season in the WHL. He also spent some time playing for the U18 World Juniors, scoring 3 points in 4 games. In his draft year, Dragicevic really burst onto the scene, scoring 75 points in 68 games. That 75 points placed Dragicevic fourth in WHL defensive scoring, and fifth in points per game. Dragicevic also played another year with the U18 World Juniors team, putting up four points in seven games.
Dragicevic’s strengths
Offensive game
Dragicevic is a pure offensive defenceman, plain and simple. With his offensive ability, Dragicevic is essentially a fourth forward when on the ice. His keen offensive instincts allow Dragicevic to move the puck effectively into the offensive zone. The flash and offensive ability certainly will draw attention and bring people to seats.
Power play
One thing that really helped Tri-City’s powerplay last year was Dragicevic’s shot. With his beaming shot, came a ton of rebounds and shot generation on the powerplay. Adding a player with key offensive ability that Dragicevic possesses, every power play is going to be more efficient. We saw this clearly with Tri-City this year.
Dragicevic’s areas of improvement
Defensive game
When a player is so focused at one end of the ice, the other is not as focused on. While Dragicevic is scoring at an extremely effective rate, he is still being scored on more at 5v5. When the puck isn’t on Dragicevic’s stick or is moving up the ice, concerns do appear. His play away from the puck is certainly cause for concern.
Lukas Dragicevic’s Comparables
One easy comparable to look at would be Calgary prospect Jeremie Poirier. He slipped in the draft due to concerns with his defensive game. I think a similar case might happen with Dragicevic, although the lack of defencemen in this draft class might make the Tri-City defender appealing. The key thing helping Dragicevic is his size, as a 6’2″ frame helps him garner less concern than Lane Hutson last year, for example.
Fit with the Flames
The Flames have a severe lack of right-handed defensive prospects in the system, with only Jake Boltmann on the reserve list. There is a natural need for more right-shot defencemen in the system, as Chris Tanev is a UFA next year and is getting up there in age. If he is to depart, the team will have a massive hole behind Rasmus Andersson. I’m not sure Dragicevic is the type of defenceman the organization is looking for, given they already have Jeremie Poirier in the system, and many power play capable players on their NHL roster already.
Summary
There is some boom or bust potential with Dragicevic. If he booms, he could be an optimal power play quarterback contributing 60+ points per season. If he busts, it will be due to the defensive end of the ice, and improvements not being made there. Dragicevic comes with a ton of offensive ability, and his 6’2″ frame will certainly intrigue teams. He could certainly be one of the steals of the 2023 NHL Draft, if he is put in a position to succeed. Placing him next to a good defensive defenceman could prove to be a very effective pairing.
Risk: 4/5
Reward: 3.5/5
Projection: Second pairing defenceman and power play quarterback
All TWC 2023 NHL Draft Profiles
Check out more of our individual player profiles of selected 2023 NHL Draft prospects:
Connor Bedard | Matvei Michkov | Adam Fantilli | Leo Carlsson | Zach Benson | Andrew Cristall | Oliver Moore | Will Smith | Ryan Leonard | Eduard Sale | Colby Barlow | Axel Sandin Pellikka | Dalibor Dvorsky | Brayden Yager | David Reinbacher | Nate Danielson | Riley Heidt | Matthew Wood | Quentin Musty | Mikhail Gulyayev | Calum Ritchie | Gabe Perrault | Jayden Perron | Ethan Gauthier | Dmitri Simashev | Samuel Honzek | Lukas Dragicevic | William Whitelaw | Otto Stenberg | Gavin Brindley | Daniil But
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