CRANBERRY, Pa. -- The raw skill of Lukas Svejkovsky, the Penguins' fourth-round draft choice in 2020, was unmatched at this year's development camp.
During the four-on-four scrimmage to wrap up camp at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Thursday, Svejkovsky found himself on a breakaway from the neutral zone with all the time in the world in the first period. After watching him all week, I knew the puck would end up in the back of the net and it did.
Seemingly every time he raced in all alone throughout camp he scored. They came in a variety of different ways, from quick snapshots that went five-hole to dekes in tight before going backhand roof, just like he did here during a shootout attempt:
Some shootout work now. Here’s a goal from Lukas Svejkovsky. pic.twitter.com/F6SzykOe8b
— Taylor Haase (@TaylorHaasePGH) July 12, 2022
Following the conclusion of camp, I spoke with Svejkovsky and he raved about the week he had, as well as how meaningful it was for him to wear the Penguins logo on his chest.
"It was great here. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was really fun," he said. "Just being able to meet new guys and putting the Penguins jersey on is such a huge honor. Not many people get to do that. I had a really fun week. There’s so many people in this organization and the coaching staff that I can learn from and I’m super excited to come back here."
After four seasons in the WHL, Svejkovsky is set to turn pro next season. He will attend Penguins training camp in September and then start the season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL.
Svejkovsky had been putting up points at a decent rate by the second half of his second WHL season, but he really saw his production soar when he was traded from the Medicine Hat Tigers to the Seattle Thunderbirds in December of 2021. In 33 games following the trade, he scored 22 goals to go along with 24 assists. He put up another 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 24 playoff games as the Thunderbirds just fell flat of winning a championship, falling to the Edmonton Oil Kings in six games during the final.
The Penguins' former director of of player development, Scott Young, said Svejkovsky massively benefitted from the trade because it surrounded him with an environment where his skills could blossom.
"We were all excited about this trade to Seattle, because now he's with better players on a good team," Young said prior to his departure for a similar role with the Canucks. "He's tearing it up. It's something we expected when he played with better players. His former team was toward the bottom of the league, there weren't a lot of guys for him to play with."
Tom Kostopoulos, who now holds Young's old position as director of player development, was complimentary of Svejkovsky's skill set when speaking with reporters on Thursday.
"If you watched the scrimmage, he’s pretty dynamic," Kostopoulos said. "He’s shifty, he’s got hockey sense, he’s creative with the puck and he can make things happen offensively. He’s done that at the junior level. Pro is almost always an adjustment for a guy coming from junior, but he’s got a good attitude and a good work ethic. I think there will be some things to learn along the way, but what he can do with the puck and what he can create is pretty special."
At the time he was drafted, Svejkovsky had an 18% chance of playing 200+ games in the NHL, per the NHLe model of Hockey Prospecting. Since then, his chance has steadily increased to 38%, a more than respectable figure for a mid-round pick.
I asked Svejkovsky what it will take for him to continue trending upward as he goes pro.
"No matter where I play, I’ve just got to focus on getting better and putting on some weight while maintaining my quickness, my speed and my skill," he said. "It’s a really big summer for me."
At 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, putting on more weight will be a necessity for Svejkovsky to make a smooth transition to the next level. Is the organization giving him all the tools and information to do so, or is that something he needs to take upon himself?
"They’re so wise about that stuff. We’re doing seminars and all that," Svejkovsky told me. "I’m learning about new things every day that I’m here. The off-ice guys have been really helpful for me, giving me exercises and workouts to gain muscle and even range of motion and flexibility."
Still, there's a lot more that goes into being a pro than putting on weight.
When I asked Svejkovsky what items the coaching staff has been emphasizing, either to the group or individually, Svejkovsky said intensity and play away from the puck. He also noted how important it is to get his hands dirty, even if he relies heavily on his skill.
"I think they really key in on competing and puck battles, whether you have the puck or you don’t," he said. "Obviously pro hockey is a big step and a lot of the goals are scored in front of the net, getting to the dirty, greasy areas. Not every goal you score is gonna be a highlight reel. It’s a man’s game and you gotta get into the dirty areas if you want to score goals and win games."
The final question I had for Svejkovsky was which player impressed him the most during camp.
"Putting me on the spot here," he chuckled. "I don’t even know if I can just choose one guy. Everyone’s here for a reason, it’s a tough question."
He contemplated for a moment before laughing and pointing across his body to his left several stalls down.
"Raivis is looking at me, so Raivis Ansons. There it is."
At this point, Svejkovsky has a way to go before he's ready for the NHL, and even then the odds are stacked against him. However, some players with similar development histories eventually became contributors at the highest level, like Mathieu Joseph, Bryan Bickell, Jujhar Khaira and Chris Wagner.
