3 Keys to Watch as Blackhawks Begin 2024-25 Season

2. Reichel’s Last Straw

Unfortunately, Lukas Reichel will not be dressing on Tuesday night. It’s not an ideal start for the former first-round pick in what is seen as a crucial season for him. Despite spending some time in Rockford last year, Reichel logged 65 games at the NHL level. 

Speed is a massive part of the 22-year-old’s game, but he hasn’t found the ability to play with much control in his NHL career. The game simply hasn’t slowed down for Reichel yet, and time is ticking on if he can be a reliable contributor to the club moving forward. 

In his 65 games last year, the winger put up 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists). Reichel has shown his knack for scoring before being a first-round selection for the Hawks in 2020. That skill not showing in the early part of his career could be due to the roster not being solidified through the rebuild. However, more veterans joining the team and a youth movement not too far behind make it relatively easy to identify Reichel as an odd man out. 

Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and others will be bound for the league in no time and they're in addition to the current locked-in top six. 

Whenever Reichel cracks the lineup, he needs to make the absolute most of whatever ice time he receives. An issue last year was the lack of time he got when inserted into the lineup, but he’ll have to find a way to prove himself to Luke Richardson’s staff. If he can’t manage to do so, he’ll most likely be shown the door at the end of the season.