Admit it: you didn’t see Lukas Sedlak making the Blue Jackets’ opening night roster.
For a fleeting moment in June, as you watched Sedlak and the Cleveland Monsters rip through the AHL playoffs, perhaps you thought the youngster had a chance. After all, we’re talking about a guy who was a sixth-round pick several years ago and who hasn’t much flash to his game.
What I’m saying is that he’s easy to forget.
But Sedlak has seemingly defied the odds these last couple of years; as the Blue Jackets continue to stockpile talented young forwards, the deck appeared stacked against Sedlak. He was a defensive specialist by nature and didn’t score an overwhelming amount with Chicoutimi in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where even the coaches wind up with a few assists every season.
And here we are, 60-plus games into the Blue Jackets’ season, discussing how important Sedlak is to the club.
That’s what we’re here to discuss, guys.
How important is he, you may ask? Well, let’s look at some data. Big data!
This is high-level look at Sedlak’s impact, but for discussion’s sake, we’ll start here. Pay close attention to Scott Hartnell and Sam Gagner, Sedlak’s two most regular line mates to this point in the season. Their shot attempts numbers decrease when they’re not playing with Sedlak, while Sedlak’s shot data is largely unaffected when he moves away from Hartnell and Gagner. These aren’t earth-shattering differences, mind you, but merely a way to illustrate how Sedlak impacts his line mates.
The following (from datarink.com) shows his score-adjusted Corsi impact compared to the Blue Jackets' other centers. As you can see, he stacks up fairly well:
| PLAYER | S/ADJ CF |
| W. KARLSSON | 44.1 |
| B. DUBINSKY | 48.7 |
| L. SEDLAK | 51.4 |
| A. WENNBERG | 57.4 |
His 5-on-5 deployment metrics are also encouraging: according to data from Corsica.hockey, Sedlak starts the majority of his shifts (36%) in the defensive zone, drawing tough checking assignments and what coaches call “the hard minutes.” Despite those factors, which one could argue work against him when it comes to playing in the offensive zone, Sedlak manages to spend very little time in his own zone.
Sedlak’s individual Corsi number is 53.2% through 55 games, mighty impressive for a guy primarily sent over the boards to play sound defensively and limit the opposition’s offense. But the Blue Jackets, in their four-line approach, have found four centers who drive play at 5-on-5 and Sedlak is perhaps the most underrated of the bunch.
His scoring numbers aren’t eye-opening by any stretch, but his on-ice impact is hard to look past. And if you’re thinking “he’s probably riding some good fortune or the puck is bouncing his way,” Sedlak’s PDO is hovering right around 100 (100.49 to be exact), so we can shelve that theory right here and now.
When building a team and seeking players who not only provide depth but valuable depth, often times it comes from the places and people you’d least expect. Sedlak, selected 158th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, probably wasn’t a name you were too familiar with a year ago, but he has cemented in his place in John Tortorella’s lineup and will play a key role moving forward.
