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2012 NHL Draft Profile: Lukas Sutter

January 31, 2012, 11:49 AM ET [10 Comments]
Brian Huddle
CHL and NHL Prospects • RSSArchiveCONTACT



Everybody loves a shiny offensive forward or potential Top-4 Defenseman come draft day. We as fans love to think of the possibilities when drafting the next "Cris Pronger" or the next "llya Kovalchuk", as rare as it is for those prospects to turn out so well.

But let's not forget that hockey is about more than simple goals. Hockey needs it's role players. Cue Lukas Sutter.

Lukas is a top prospect for the 2012 NHL Draft, and ranked as a second round pick in my January Rankings. At six-foot-one and 202-pounds, Sutter has a good frame ready for the pro game.

Son of former NHL'er, Rich Sutter, the spotlight is on this Saskatoon Blade to produce and continue on his trajectory towards the NHL with his cousins like Brandon (Sutter) already firmly planted in the National Hockey League.

"It’s been important, the way I’ve been able to take steps offensively with this being my draft year," Sutter had to say of his production this season. "Not only that, but our line with Jesse Paradis and Michael Burns has been going up against the other team’s best players. That’s been a challenge but a good way to learn. Those guys deserve a lot of credit for how things have gone for our team, too."

A throwback hockey player, this Lethbridge native has the look of a very good two-way checking center at the NHL level. With so many teams beginning to match up their stars with offensive zone starts, a player like Lukas becomes invaluable for his defensive abilities, as he'd draw into a lot of D-zone starts.

So how does the next Sutter think of himself?

“I’m definitely more of an ‘in your face’, two-way type of player. I like to play physical, defend my ice and try to get under the other team’s skin. A big thing right now for me is that I have to watch my discipline a little bit more.”

Now that's my type of hockey player.
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