The Chicago Blackhawks gave one of their young players, Lukas Reichel, a fresh start when they traded him to the Vancouver Canucks earlier this season. Reichel had fallen out of favor in Chicago, and it looked like he might be able to help a Canucks team that sometimes struggles on offense. However, after 13 games in a Vancouver uniform, Reichel has just one assist, and it looks like the Canucks might already be giving up on the experiment, according to Rick Dhaliwal on Halford and Brough.
“If you call around the league, Lukas Reichel is available, after 13 games in Vancouver,” Dhaliwal told the Vancouver-based Sportsnet radio show.
It was an unfortunate scenario for Reichel, who finally looked to be regaining his form with four points in five games with Chicago this season. The Blackhawks saw it as an opportunity to sell high on their once-prized prospect, trading him to the Canucks for a fourth-round draft pick.
Reichel was one of the Blackhawks' best AHL players when he first joined the North American pro ranks. He also recorded 15 points in 23 games with Chicago in the 2022-23 season, but has been on a downward trajectory since that breakout season. Once Chicago's other top prospects joined the team, Reichel took a back seat.
The news about Reichel comes after he was a surprising healthy scratch on Thursday night. All eyes will be on Vancouver's lineup when they face one of their rivals, the Calgary Flames, on Sunday evening, to see if Reichel is a scratch for the second straight game.
