Chicago Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Chicago Blackhawks, NHL or NHLPA
"You're going to Edmonton" Chicago Blackhawks forward unexpectedly addresses trade rumors
Photo credit: NHL.com
A Chicago Blackhawks forward unexpectedly addressed the trade rumors sending him to the Edmonton Oilers in an interview.
General Manager Kyle Davidson hinted that he was ready to start the season with his current players, saying he didn't expect to make any moves before October.
He may not have made significant acquisitions during the summer, but he did extend the contract of a promising forward.
Indeed, Frank Nazar agreed to sign a seven-year extension in Chicago, which opened the door to the possibility of seeing Lukas Reichel getting traded.
In a recent interview, he opened up on the trade rumors involving him ahead of his signature, saying he thought he couldn't do anything about it and would leave the Hawks during the summer.
Lukas Reichel Reveals He Thought He Was Traded To Edmonton This Summer
The 23-year-old German forward, set to compete in the upcoming Olympic Games, struggled to find rhythm in the NHL since joining the Hawks in 2021.
With Nazar signed for the long run, Bedard set to sign his extension in the coming months, and the Blackhawks' third overall pick Anton Frondell set to join the team next year, there's not a lot of room for Reichel in the lineup.
Considering many teams in the NHL are looking to add a center, trading him would be the easy option.
Here's what Reichel had to say:
"I heard from guys in Germany that I didn't know knew hockey. They came up to me and said, 'You're going to go to Edmonton.' I can't do anything about it."
"Now I'm like, 'Oh, my God, I just want to get started.' It makes it even more motivating for me because you have one year and you just put everything into it. That's why you try stuff with the training."
"[Last season] was up and down. If you have a down game, you've got to learn from it. Then you feel better if it happens again. You know what to do. ... Knowing you've been through it all... and how to handle it or how to try to stay positive, it definitely helps a lot."
"Now I'm like, 'Oh, my God, I just want to get started.' It makes it even more motivating for me because you have one year and you just put everything into it. That's why you try stuff with the training."
"[Last season] was up and down. If you have a down game, you've got to learn from it. Then you feel better if it happens again. You know what to do. ... Knowing you've been through it all... and how to handle it or how to try to stay positive, it definitely helps a lot."
In the last season, Reichel scored 22 points, including eight goals, in 70 games.
Do you think he'll reach the 30-point mark next season?
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 8 | 309 ANSWERS "You're going to Edmonton" Chicago Blackhawks forward unexpectedly addresses trade rumors Do you think Lukas Reichel will be traded out of Chicago? | ||
| Yes | 217 | 70.2 % |
| No | 92 | 29.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
CHICAGO HOCKEY INSIDER
COPYRIGHT @2025 • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
TERMS OF SERVICE · PRIVACY POLICY · COOKIE POLICY
COPYRIGHT @2025 • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
TERMS OF SERVICE · PRIVACY POLICY · COOKIE POLICY