Blackhawks Shopping Former First Round Pick

The Chicago Blackhawks could soon be moving on from a key youngster.

Apr 6, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel (73) warms up before the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images / Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

The Chicago Blackhawks have an extremely bright future ahead of them, but a former first-round pick might not be a part of the growth. As the NHL ramps up to the 2025-26 season, Lukas Reichel’s future with the Blackhawks appears to be coming into question.

According to Scott Powers of the Athletic, everything is on the table when it comes to Reichel with the Blackhawks. He could make the opening night roster, he could be sent to the American Hockey League or he could be traded to a whole new organization.

“It’s no secret the Blackhawks explored trading Reichel and, even in the last few days, let teams know he’s available,” Powers writes. “What happens over the next week is anyone’s guess. He could be traded. He could make the Blackhawks roster out of camp. He could be placed on waivers, and that could mean either being claimed by someone else or reassigned to the AHL.”

At 23 years old, Reichel still has plenty of NHL ahead of him, and a change of scenery could be a big boost to his development. In 169 career games with the Blackhawks, Reichel has scored 20 with 34 assists for 54 points.

In 70 games during the 2024-25 season, he picked up eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points. Those are all career highs for Reichel, but are they where the Blackhawks expected them to be?

Feb 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel (73) warms up before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

The Blackhawks selected Reichel 17th overall in 2020 and he quickly showed his offensive abilities at the American Hockey League level. As a member of the Rockford IceHogs in 2021-22, Reichel scored 57 points (21G-36A) in 57 games. The following year he notched 51 points (20G-31A) in 55 games.

Reichel has the ability to become a star forward in the NHL, but for whatever reason, Chicago hasn’t seen him blossom. Teams are sure to still see the potential with Reichel and there shouldn’t be a shortage of calls coming the Blackhawks’ way.

Heading into the final year of a two-year deal worth $1.2 million annually, the Blackhawks are hoping things can pan out quickly. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, giving the Blackhawks some extra power, but a trade could happen before the end of the year.

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