The Chicago Blackhawks played the Seattle Kraken at home on Saturday night. The Hawks played in their second sellout of the season and promptly gave up six goals on the first seven shots of the game. Oddly enough, that alone reminds me of why Lukas Reichel belongs on the team and not in Rockford.
The Chicago Blackhawks are rebuilding. They are actively tanking for the first overall pick to land a generational talent in Connor Bedard, and they are well on the way to getting there, assuming the draft lottery goes their way.
The Blackhawks are making a mistake sending down Lukas Reichel.
In four games this season, Reichel registered one goal and two assists. One of his games this season came at the beginning of December, while the rest came recently in January.
Reichel registered all three points in one game on Jan. 8 against the Calgary Flames. Having been at the game that night, I can say without a doubt the crowd was electric watching him play and put up some points.
Here is a look at Reichel’s first goal in the NHL:
There is little doubt that Reichel belongs in the NHL. He is one of the 12 best forwards the franchise has and should be in the lineup every night. However, this team is actively trying to lose games, and Reichel hurts those odds of losing games.
Of the four games Reichel played this season, the Hawks won three of those games. They have only won 11 games going into their matchup last night against the Buffalo Sabres so that is about 27 percent of their wins on the year, including Reichel.
The Blackhawks have a better chance to win with Reichel in the lineup. Even Patrick Kane has some high praise for the young forward.
I think the Blackhawks are making a mistake sending down Reichel. Even with the team tanking and trying to lose games, I think Reichel should be in the NHL solely because he is going to be a part of the future of this franchise.
The Blackhawks had a sold-out crowd on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken. Despite the team struggling, fans are showing up. The least Kyle Davidson and the organization could do is provide some glimmer of hope for the future.
Fans should be able to Reichel him play alongside guys like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews every night, as who knows how much longer they will remain on the team. While I understand why the Hawks sent down Reichel, I believe it is a mistake. Hopefully, after the trade deadline has passed, we will see Reichel in the lineup every night.