The only reason the Chicago Blackhawks should trade Lukas Reichel

It sounds like Lukas Reichel's days in Chicago are numbered.

Trade rumors are swirling that the Chicago Blackhawks are considering trading the inconsistent 23-year-old forward. NHL insider David Pagnotta reported via Jeff Marek's The Sheet that four teams are interested in giving Reichel a fresh start. The Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson reports that Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman would love to reunite with the player he drafted in the first round when he was running the Blackhawks.

A fresh start is probably what Reichel needs at this point in his career. However, he still has the talent to be a dynamic top-six player who is still just scratching the surface of his potential. While the team has a boatload of other prospects with similar skills, the organization should not be so quick to give up a young player--even one whose play is as inconsistent as Reichel's.

If general manager Kyle Davidson is going to pursue ridding the team of Reichel, he should do it for one reason, since the trade return is going to be meager.

The new coaching staff should make the call

If new head coach Jeff Blashill thinks Reichel is a lost cause, then Davidson owes it to his new leader behind the bench to provide him with the players he can work with.

It sounds like Blashill does not see a role for Reichel on this team this season, based on what he recently told reporters (subscription required).

"“His skill set is probably a little more top-six in terms of the way that he’s come up and what he’s valued, I guess,” Blashill said. “So, part of the process is probably learning how to take that and say, ‘OK, if I’m not going to get a top-six (role), whether those decisions are right or wrong, how can I grab a different spot?’ So you’re not limiting yourself to six positions. So, that’s something that we’ll continue to have conversations on and keep finding ways to make himself a commodity.”"

Jeff Blashill

Blashill can have those conversations with Reichel, but there might not be any room for him based on the personnel the team has on the roster and in the prospect pipeline.

There is no room right now for Reichel on the team's top six. Veterans Jason Dickinson and Nick Foligno provide what you ideally want out of a bottom-six forward based on their ability to play both ways and complete checks. Ilya Mikheyev has been outstanding since coming to Chicago last season. Youngsters such as Colton Dach and Landon Slaggert are also better suited to a third or fourth line role.

The club has talented prospects, such as Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene, and Samuel Savoie, waiting in the wings, who may produce better than Reichel.

The argument could be made that the Blackhawks should not be wasting their time with veteran Sam Lafferty. Lafferty, at this point in his career, is a speedy veteran skater but provides no upside. Reichel still has the potential to have a better career than Lafferty could ever dream of.

The issue is that Reichel continues to be nothing but potential, who finds creative ways to land himself in a coach's doghouse.

Blashill may realize it is not worth the aggravation to deal with Reichel's endless loop of mediocrity. He loses confidence when he starts to struggle, he gets scratched, he works his way back into the lineup on the fourth line, plays well enough to earn a promotion up to the first or second line, and then struggles with loop starting all over again.

I would not blame Blashill if he is not interested in trying to get the most out of Reichel. Two other Blackhawks' head coaches (Luke Richardson and Anders Sorenson) have tried and could never reach him. However, it cannot hurt to give it one more try.