| Julian Lutz | EHC Munchen | DEL | L | LW | 6’2″ | 185 | Soo Greyhounds | 2021 #116 CHL Import Draft | Weingarten, GER | 2004 | 2021-2022: B- |
DEL: Dusseldorfer EG vs EHC Munchen, April 1, 2022: The smooth skating Lutz has a National League frame. As one of the younger players in this game he saw 4th line minutes, but we liked his pace and his mindset to hound loose pucks with the intent of winning the battles. Late in the 6-0 nothing win Lutz saw some power play time as the shooter on his off side right flank. While on the PP we saw him make a poised controlled zone entry, settle bouncing pucks quickly, make quick one-touch passes and fire a one-timer with real heat on it. There is a lot to like about Lutz and how his game translates to North America.
U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup: Switzerland vs Germany, August 8, 2021: Lutz looked thicker than when we last saw him at the U18 World Championships, but he still showed the fluid stride and explosiveness. We also immediately noticed that he was much more detailed in defensive zone coverage by playing with an active stick and stopping on pucks. Offensively he was confident with the puck and showed a real willingness to attack the scoring area or travel with the puck through the royal road before making a play. HE finished the game with 2 goals. The first came after he received a bouncing pass in the high slot and then attacked the crease with a sweeping wide dribble that went forehand-backhand-forehand-shelf. The second goal came off a fortunate bounce off a net front defender’s foot, but before that Lutz showed a powerful cross-under that allowed him to create space for himself below the goal line. We like his ability to receive passes while in tight traffic and the recognition he shows to adjust his route while the pass his on its way to him.
U18 World Championships: Germany vs USA, April 28, 2021: Lutz is a good sized left shot forward with smooth feet and very nice acceleration. We noticed his speed early in the first as he picked up a pass at his defensive blue line and then exploded through Team USA’s defenders looking to split the “D”. Lutz was a key member to Germany’s power play and in fact played almost a full minute more than the next closest forward. He finished the game with one primary power play which ordinated when he won a wall battle and then made a soft skill pass through a defender’s feet into space. A few things to keep note of; he is a drifter in defensive zone coverage and we noticed that he turned his back on the puck more than we like and he had 3 power play scoring opportunities that never hit the net with 2 being blocked.