Lukas Riechel, a former first-round pick, has had an up-and-down tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks. He is an incredibly skilled player, but he hasn’t been able to stick in a top-six role.
His strengths also may not be best suited for a bottom-six role, so it’s been frustrating for him and the team. For this reason, moving him could be on the table for Kyle Davidson and his staff.
On a recent episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman implied that he could be on the trade block now.
“I just think that it’s a name that’s out there, that [Reichel’s] name is out there,” Friedman said. “And I think it’s understood that the Blackhawks are willing to make the move if they find a trade partner. And I think the player understands it might be time, too. So I’ve just heard that as we go into camp, that’s just a name that’s out there.”
For a season like 2025-26, the Chicago Blackhawks could give Reichel some ice on all four lines to see where he fits. This might not be something that benefits the player or team, though, so trading him could be for the best.
There have been instances where struggling first-round picks change the way they play and end up having long NHL careers in a different role than they were expecting when they were first drafted. However, the player has to be willing to do that, and sometimes it is impossible to come with their first team.
If the Blackhawks can find a trade partner, all they’d be hoping for is a pick or prospect to come back in return. It certainly wouldn’t be an asset that moves the needle, but it could be something that helps with depth in the future.
Moving on from a disgruntled player would be the main return on the trade for the Blackhawks anyway. Getting anything of value in this situation would be a win.
For the team acquiring Reichel, they’d be taking a low risk to gain a talented player with upside. If they can get him to accept and execute a role on their team, it would benefit everyone.
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