After the second day of training camp, the Chicago Blackhawks felt the aftereffects of another fast, tough practice Friday at Fifth Third Arena. Drills included breakouts and conditioning, and skaters including captain Nick Foligno took a moment to catch their breath before heading to the locker room.
It’s difficult but necessary for the Hawks to start winning again. Roster spots are up for grabs, and players are fighting for a chance to play in the NHL.
Lukas Reichel played 135 games for the Hawks over the last two seasons, but his status appears to be a bit foggy. On the first day of camp, general manager Kyle Davidson was asked about the left winger’s situation.
“It’s a little bit of a prove-it camp for Lukas, it’s been an up and down couple of years for him,” Davidson said Thursday. “We still see Lukas as an extremely talented, high-upside player that has just as good of a shot as anyone (in training camp). But he’s got to earn it just like everyone else.”
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, on an episode of his “32 Thoughts: The Podcast” before camp, included Reichel as a name to watch on the trade block. The left winger is entering the final season of a two-year, $2.4 million contract. He’s seen as a low-risk addition to any line, and teams such as the Detroit Red Wings have been mentioned as potential landing spots.
Early returns from camp have Reichel skating fairly well in new coach Jeff Blashill’s faster system — which seems to be the case with most of the skaters. Still, the comments from the Hawks GM have given the Germany native a boost of confidence.
“I think in every camp, even when you already play first or second line, you just got to bring it or give your best,” Reichel, 23, said. “Show them why you’re there or why you want the spot and that’s what I try to do.”
The 2020 No. 17 pick showed promise in his first season in the United States. He played 56 games with the Rockford IceHogs in 2021-22, registering 57 points (21 points, 36 assists). He played 11 games with the Hawks that season, averaging 13 minutes, 22 seconds of of ice time.
The Hawks have been hoping for Reichel to keep progressing. In 2022-23, he had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 23 games in 16:22.
But his playing time has decreased since, dropping to 14:07 in 65 games in 2023-24 and 11:55 in 70 games ’24-25. Over the last two seasons, Reichel totaled 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists).
Since the 2022-23 season, Reichel has been designated to Rockford five times. That’s a lot, but he said he “learned a lot” from his trips to the AHL.
“I was really hard to myself always and that brought me down and then I didn’t play with confidence,” Reichel said. “Sometimes (it’s) better to switch it and have that killer instinct on the ice, like ‘I got this’ or ‘(this) next trip is going better,’ just to stay more positive.”
While it’s early in camp, Blashill is looking at what Reichel will show in the preseason.
“I’ve liked Reich, got to know him a little bit as a guy, he’s got a good personality,” Blashill said. “He’s a talented player (and) like I’ve said to our groups, we’ve got more good players than spots.”
Reichel worked hard this offseason to improve. The change in coaches has given Reichel a chance to make an impression on the new boss.
“He wants to you know how your doing and he wants to talk to you, but at the same time on the ice, he’s not yelling at you but he wants you to understand what we work on,” Reichel said. “Once everyone gets it and we do (drills) right, it’s hard, but it’s a lot of fun. I think the guys (are) coming together.”
Reichel has the rest of camp and four preseason games to prove his worth.