The Chicago Blackhawks officially moved on from a former first-round pick in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.
The Blackhawks sent winger Lukas Reichel to Vancouver in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. The deal comes after much speculation regarding the 23-year-old’s future with the team.
The Blackhawks drafted Reichel in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft. The Hawks used the 17th overall pick to nab the promising forward.
However, Reichel hasn’t quite lived up to the first-round billing that came with him. While he had a three-point night against the St. Louis Blues on October 15, he’s failed to produce much in the five games he’s seen action this season.
For his career, Reichel has scored 22 goals in 174 NHL games. He’s totaled 58 points and is a minus-60. Those numbers are not what the Blackhawks had envisioned when they drafted Reichel.
So, Friday’s move signals the end of Reichel’s time in Chicago. The Blackhawks were likely hoping to get more in return for Reichel, but it doesn’t seem like the team could manage more than a fourth-round pick.
The move to Vancouver should give Reichel a shot at a fresh start, potentially rekindling his once-promising career.
Blackhawks Cut Their Losses with Reichel Trade
The Chicago Blackhawks essentially cut their losses by trading Reichel. The move wasn’t necessarily about getting something valuable in return for the German winger. The move was more about moving on from the drama that surrounded the team.
As Reichel gradually fell out of favor in Chicago, plenty of speculation emerged regarding his future. Still, the Blackhawks gave Reichel a two-year deal last offseason as the two sides figured out what to do about his future with the team.
Reichel put up eight goals in 70 games in the first year of the contract, hardly convincing anyone he was worth a long-term deal. His $1.2 million cap hit, while not necessarily financially crippling, could be better spent on other areas moving forward.
So, it made sense for the Blackhawks to cut their losses now. Holding onto Reichel for this season would have added to the drama. Moreover, the Blackhawks might have found it more challenging to trade Reichel once he became an RFA once again.
Chicago with Cap Space for more Moves
The Blackhawks now lead the league with the most cap space available. The club has over $17 million and could use that to make more moves.
With Chicago having a better-than-expected start, the team could use its remaining space to add more pieces as the season wears on. Of course, it might be premature to speculate what those moves could be.
The signpost will be Thanksgiving. If the Blackhawks are relatively near a playoff spot by then, the team might entertain adding players to bolster the club moving forward.
However, if the Blackhawks begin to fade, that cap space could become a weapon. This season marks the last time teams can use double retentions in trades. So, the Blackhawks could afford to gobble up one or two bad contracts in exchange for more pieces they could use later on.
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