NEWSLETTER
The Blackhawks need scoring. Like, desperately need it. And, looking at the forwards on their expected NHL roster, the options are limited (to say the least). So the opportunity for Lukas Reichel to carve out a role should be readily available.
When we looked at what Lukas Reichel brings to the table for the Blackhawks this season, we noted that his offensive skill thrived in a top role in Rockford this past season. He was a top-20 pick for a reason and was among the top rookie scorers in the AHL last season.
So why not consider him a sleeper pick for rookie of the year honors?
On Thursday, Scott Wheeler at The Athletic published his top 20 Calder Trophy candidates for the coming season. Of note, three of the top six players on his list — Owen Power (1), Matty Beniers (2) and Kent Johnson (6) — played together at the University of Michigan last year.
Though Reichel didn’t make his top ten overall, he did come in at No. 11 on the list. Here’s what Wheeler had to say about Reichel’s chances:
Reichel’s a fascinating one in that there is no NHL team whose forward group is thinner than Chicago’s, and somebody’s going to get to play with Patrick Kane before they decide what to do with him. If they settle on slotting Reichel opposite Kane in order to put him in the best position to succeed offensively and feel good about himself, there’s obviously real potential there. But the Blackhawks also have a decision to make about whether or not they want Reichel to play a full 82 games on a dreadful team that is preparing for quite likely one of the worst seasons in franchise history. I’m sure he’s going to get an extended look, but there’s also certainly some appeal to him playing out another season in Rockford at an arm’s length from the tank. I think there’s an outcome where he plays with Kane and really succeeds. If he plays with anybody but Kane, though, his odds plummet.
Our take: this makes sense, if Reichel gets to skate with Kane. I wouldn’t be shocked it Andreas Athanasiou got some run on the top line with Kane and Reichel slotted into a second line role with Max Domi at some point. The good news: Reichel’s future in Chicago appears to be longer than Kane or Domi at this point, and a new head coach will hopefully put him in positions to succeed.
The other caveat we’ll put on Reichel’s production that contradicts Wheeler’s comments is if/when Kane gets traded, there could be an opportunity for Reichel to take a primary role on the top power play unit. If he does that, and the other skaters on the ice feed him, he could have a good opportunity to produce if the Blackhawks ever get a power play.
