Rena Laverty/USA Hockey
His season didn’t start until February due to knee surgery, and for a player who wasn’t the best skater beforehand, that was somewhat troubling. So it was a little shocking to evaluators when Lucius returned to the U.S. NTDP lineup and immediately began piling up goals, not missing a beat.
Even more intriguing was the fact he seemed to be faster than before the injury – though that’s still a point of contention. “He’s not a razzle-dazzle entry guy, and his skating is just OK,” said one scout. “On the other side, he scores. Literally, he scores almost every time you watch him. He has a really good ability to get to the quiet ice in the offensive zone, and he’s got a really special stick in terms of catching and shooting and getting pucks off in a hurry.”
A University of Minnesota commit, Lucius was the most dynamic forward on the U.S. NTDP this year and averaged a goal per game. “He scores goals, that’s what he does,” said another scout. “He’s always had a nose for the net and pucks find him. He’s got a good release and if you look at his shot selection, everything’s from home plate. He’s where he needs to be and he’s got good hockey sense.”