Lukas Reichel's three-point night may have salvaged his value

I will admit, like many of you, I was pretty much out on Lukas Reichel by the start of this season. We are now five years past his draft season, and he still has failed to grab a consistent NHL roster spot. It seemed as though there was no mending this relationship between the young German forward and the Chicago Blackhawks. But after helping his team dominate the rival St. Louis Blues, he may have one last chance to stick here.

Lukas Reichel was electric on Wednesday night

It isn't just the fact that he scored three points; it's how he scored them. He was possessed on the ice, driving play, forechecking, lifting Blues' sticks, shooting, passing, deking, dodging hits, and weaving through defenders to get to the net. He was fantastic last night, and his play was reminiscent of the player that Stan Bowman probably envisioned when he picked Lukas 17th overall in 2020.

Jeff Blashill has preached playing within the system as the way to win games. He constantly talks about "winning hockey" and the sacrifices necessary to help a team win. What Reichel did tonight was exactly what Blashill has been preaching. Be hard on pucks and do the little things well. What I noticed most of all was that he used his speed to carry the puck into the offensive zone, but then used his improved strength to possess the puck long enough for other attackers to arrive. The assist that he got on Ryan Greene's first NHL goal was a perfect example of that.

Now the question becomes, has Reichel done enough to stick in the lineup? Well, it is going to be very hard to justify removing him after a game like that. My guess would be we won't see many more 11-forward, seven-defensemen lineups going forward. Someone good is going to have to sit, whether it's Louis Crevier, Matt Grzelcyk, or, dare I say, Nick Foligno. But for now, this kid has earned a chance to prove himself one last time.

Long term, it's harder to say definitively if Reichel will stay in the lineup much of the season. In the past, his inconsistency has cost him, and in fact, last season he was scratched for the first few games, and when he finally returned, he had a multi-point night immediately... Sounds familiar. So, it's on Lukas himself to carry on this momentum and play the way he did tonight consistently. That doesn't mean that he needs to score every night, but he can't be invisible like he has been so many times in the past.

Is a trade still on the table?

For Kyle Davidson, this game has given him a bit of leverage that he was likely lacking in trade packages surrounding Reichel these past few weeks. No one wants to trade for another team's castaway (with the possible exception of Bowman). Now that he has had a really impressive game this season, it will be easier for Davidson to sell teams on this player. I think a trade is still actually the most likely option, but only time will tell.

Whether he is traded or sticks around with the team, I'm very happy to see Reichel have a great game like this. He was a player we all had very high hopes for. I remember the weird, but surprisingly fun, COVID season when the divisions were all mangled up; he was the Blackhawks' top prospect, and we all had such high hopes for him. Years later, it just hasn't gone well, which is really a shame.

All that to say, I'm very happy for Reichel. He deserves a chance to build off of this performance, and I fervently hope that Blashill gives him the opportunity to play a few more games here. If he doesn't build off of this momentum, oh well, you gave him a final shot, and he couldn't run with it. But if he carries on this momentum and strings together a few good games, maybe just maybe Reichel still has something to give this team and this fanbase.