Blackhawks News: Bedard is fully back, Reichel is sent down, and more

The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon. They don’t do much winning which is a good thing for their draft lottery stock but it is good to see them feel good about themselves now and again. 

That happened in this one as they defeated the Senators 3-2. When they were down 2-1 in the second period, Connor Bedard scored his first goal since coming back from his jaw injury. This was his second game back and he has three points in the two contests. 

That tying goal by Bedard gave them a chance to win the game when the third period came around. It was Jason Dickinson’s goal in the final minutes of regulation that secured the win for Chicago. 

The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot going on with them right now

Lukas Reichel was sent down

On Sunday, we learned that the Hawks sent Lukas Reichel down to the Rockford Ice Hogs. This has been a long time coming as Reichel’s 2023-24 season has not been a good one for him. 

There was a lot of top-six potential for him based on his talents but it hasn’t come to fruition in the NHL at this point. There were flashes at the end of last season when the season was just about over but it hasn’t translated to this year at all. 

The former first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft is only 21 years old so there is time for him to continue developing but it is not promising right now. In 50 games played this year, he only has three goals and seven assists for 10 points. 

Reichel hasn’t produced enough to be a legit top-six player and he doesn’t have the skill set or mindset to be a bottom-six guy. We’ll see if either of those things develops in time. 

He now has a chance to go get better in Rockford where the pressure will be off and the competition level will be decreased. With some of the other young forwards coming through the organization quickly, he doesn’t have much time to waste. 

Next up

The Chicago Blackhawks are now off until Monday. They are going to pay a visit to the Carolina Hurricanes who are one of the top teams in the Metropolitan Division right now. 

Getting a look at Bedard against a team like that should be a treat. They play a game that can be annoying for the top teams with more talent than them so it will be interesting to see how this matchup pans out.