Chicago Blackhawks Player Grades: Diving into Lukas Reichel's subpar season

What's next for Reichel?

After a disappointing 2023-24 season, Reichel will not be entering next season with the same level of expectations. Many will be looking at him to prove that he can be a scorer in the NHL once again and to find consistency in his game. Fans and the team alike will want to see him carry over his play from the end of the season and build off of it.

Reichel is entering this summer as a restricted free agent, with his rookie contract coming to an end. It is likely that he will receive a bridge deal from the Blackhawks for possibly two or three seasons at a lower salary. Signing this deal will be low risk for the Blackhawks, as it gives Reichel a chance to prove himself at the NHL level, and if he does not then it will not be hurting them salary-wise.

With General Manager Kyle Davidson saying that the standard will be higher for next season, the belief is that more scoring talent will be brought in over the summer. More scoring options should help Reichel find that consistency and take a step forward. When he's on his game, he's fast and can make creative plays with the puck, but that was lost this season as his confidence fell too.

Reichel is currently playing with the IceHogs for the playoffs and has looked strong, making those creative passes and playing with confidence. Having this play carry over into next season will be crucial for his development. Sometimes it takes young forwards sometime before becoming successful in the NHL, and patience from the fan base will be running thin if that next step does not happen soon.

Lukas Reichel's 2023-24 season grade is a D.