Lucas Zajic

June 2026 — Zajic spent his draft year on the U18 NTDP team, scoring 17 goals with 14 assists in 61 games and adding five goals in five games at the U18 World Championship, a finishing burst that captures what scouts like most about him. He’s a shooter first. The release is quick and accurate from the circles, and he pairs it with the edges and handling to beat defenders one-on-one and carry pucks through the neutral zone. The questions sit on the other side of that skill set. His playmaking and read-the-play patience lag the shooting, he can get tunnel vision driving the net rather than waiting for a second option, and 56 penalty minutes hint at an undisciplined edge NHL coaches will want trimmed. His USHL-only numbers, 10 points in 25 games against older competition, reflect a player still rounding into a complete game. For fantasy, the value is goals from a middle-six role if the shot translates, with limited assist or peripheral support. The development path is long: Central Scouting slotted him 126th among North American skaters, a fourth-round projection, and his path includes another USHL season with Youngstown, which holds his rights, before he reaches Wisconsin. If the shooting carries and the playmaking grows enough to keep him on a scoring line, a middle-six scorer near 50 points is the ceiling, which is where the five upside lands. Andrew Epps