The Chicago Blackhawks DID NOT give Lukas Reichel a chance to make the NHL roster. Coming into prospect camp and the Tom Kurvers prospect showcase, there was a musk in the air that Reichel was destined to start the season in the AHL regardless of his training camp. However, Kyle Davidson and Luke Richardson would try to put some water on that flame, saying if Reichel had a fantastic training camp, he could force his way onto the Blackhawks. Reichel would look far and away better than the rest of the prospects during the Tom Kurvers classic, including a dominating performance in the second game versus the Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild).
You’d imagine that his performance at prospect camp would have warranted him to get a taste with the big dogs at training camp, but NOPE. Instead, he was buried in group “B” away from Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and almost any player that will play in the NHL this season. Luke Richardson would come out to say this about Reichel being sent down “Instead of a guy like (Reichel) staying here and battling to stay in the lineup in a fourth-line role… why not go down and be the best center down there?
To say that Lukas Reichel is not a top-six talent on this roster is insulting. Reichel could easily slide on a line with Patrick Kane and be a productive offensive player in the NHL. Now Richardson did say it was his defensive play that was Reichel’s demise. Richardson would go in to say, “For an NHL, elite-skills guy, (Reichel) just not quite there yet,”
Maybe if Reichel was placed n group “A” with Patrick Kane, you could have seen a connection grow between them. Instead, Max Domi was placed next to Kane. During the short stint (yeah, it’s just pre-season), the Domi and Kane line has produced NOTHING. Reichel even flashed in the pre-season games, including the GORGEOUS goal he scored off of just an unbelievable pass from Kevin Korchinski.
Kyle Davidson has a plan, which is a plan of losing games, and having Lukas Reichel on the NHL roster hurts that. There was nothing Reichel could have done himself to make the roster. Instead, Davidson stacked the deck against him, never allowing him to play next to the caliber of player that would have allowed Reichel the chance to have a “Fantastic,” not good, camp.
This isn’t the worst thing in the world. Previous management would have forced Reichel into the NHL last year. It’s good that Davidson is preaching patience and allowing prospects t grow, but Reichel deserved a real shot at the NHL to start the season. The rumor is that Davidson wants Reichel to stay in the NHL permanently once he is finally called up to the NHL. That said, Lukas Reichel never had a fair shot at making the NHL come out of pre-season, and after dominating the AHL and putting up a point per game, he deserved the chance.
How long until Lukas Reichel is called up to the NHL? This all depends on how much importance is put on the NHL record. If it is solely about the play of Reichel, it shouldn’t take longer than two months for Reichel to prove his season of dominance wasn’t just a fluke. The Rockford IceHogs have improved tremendously, which should help open the ice up even more for Reichel. Reichel will be a mainstay on the NHL roster before the end of the season.
Season 2 Episode 10: Is Patrick Kane The Greatest Blackhawks Player Of All Time – Cue The Dagger
- Season 2 Episode 10: Is Patrick Kane The Greatest Blackhawks Player Of All Time
- Season 2 Episode 9: Peter Laviolette III
- Season 2 Episode 8: Hossa Night, Early NHL awards, NHL talk and more
- Season 2 Episode 7: Is Toews back? Should Matthews have to fight? and much more!
- Season 2 Episode 6: Three Blackhawks trades, Chicago's hot start, around the NHL and more
