22-Year Chicago Blackhawks forwards time with the organization is running out

Lukas Reichel is competing at the 2025 IIHF World Championships with Germany this season. It could be an instrumental time for him to continue to improve his game, after another down year in the NHL.

Reichel had lofty expectations placed upon him, as a former 17th overall draft pick in 2020 by the Blackhawks.

Now, five years out of his draft year and he's been failing to make the grade for the team. You have to wonder if his time is truly over in Chicago?

Kyle Davidson and Luke Richardson worked with him in order to build his confidence by sending him down to the AHL and bringing him back up. But that tactic doesn't seem to have worked, as he's been a fourth-liner all season, and only posted 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists) in 70 games.

While he did show a slight improvement this year, after posting only 16 points in 65 games during 2023-2024, he has never found his groove in the NHL.

He may become a casualty of the next wave of prospects trickling into Chicago, and as a Stan Bowman draft-pick Kyle Davidson may simple boil it down to a trade for any kind of asset a team would be willing to give up for him.

In October training camp will be fierce, as new arrivals will compete for spots with full-force and Reichel may need a fresh start to find that kind of energy he hasn't had in Chicago.

Reichel signed through the end of the 2025-2026 season with a $1.2 million cap hit. But it's difficult to see where Kyle Davidson would prioritize signing him yet again after having been given so many chances.