The Chicago Blackhawks made their first major offseason move on Thursday when Jeff Blashill was announced as the club's new head coach. The 51-year-old head coach will look to help the Blackhawks reach the next level after last season's 25-46-11 record saw the franchise miss the NHL postseason for the fifth consecutive year.
With Blashill looking to begin a new era in the Windy City, the upcoming NHL offseason will likely bring changes throughout the Blackhawks' lineup. Assuming that's the case, one of Chicago's wingers is likely already on thin ice before he even gets a chance to meet his new coach.
Lukas Reichel is Immediately on Thin Ice After Blackhawks Hire Jeff Blashill
As Blashill takes over the bench, Blackhawks fans shouldn't be surprised if this is the beginning of the end for 23-year-old winger Lukas Reichel.
Expectations were high for the German-born forward when the Blackhawks drafted him 20th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Reichel was just coming off a 12-goal, 12-assist performance as a teenager playing against the men in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), leaving Chicago fans hopeful that he'd eventually become a key piece of the core.
After spending another campaign in the DEL, Reichel finally made his Blackhawks debut in 2021-22. He's bounced back and forth between the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) since then, leaving the fanbase to wonder if he'll ever find success with the big club.
Although he impressively has 42 goals and 116 points in 121 games with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, Reichel only has 20 goals and 54 points in 169 NHL outings. He's only playing at a 0.28 point-per-game pace with the Blackhawks across the last two seasons, which is far from the type of production fans expect from the former first-rounder.
It's also hard to like Reichel's outlook with the Blackhawks when he was already in the doghouse before Blashill was hired. The left-handed shooter averaged the second-fewest average time on ice (11:55) among Blackhawks forwards who played at least 50 games in 2024-25, meaning his destiny may have already been set regardless of who was hired as coach.
Set to hit restricted free agency next summer, the Blackhawks could explore trading Reichel as early as this offseason if there's no intention of re-signing him. Even though his career has been lackluster so far, a potential suitor could overpay for his services if they're blinded by his age and draft pedigree.
If the offer is right, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson should be open to a deal.
With NHL free agency and the 2025 draft rapidly approaching, Blackhawks fans should have a better idea of Reichel's future in the Windy City sooner rather than later.