Will Lukas Reichel Regain His Confidence in Rockford?

Blackhawk Up has covered this season's Lukas Reichel rollcoaster (say that 3 times fast) ad nauseam and yet the question remains... Will Lukas Reichel ever get back to the player we all saw at the end of last season? With nothing on the line and with a stellar AHL career (over 100 career points) behind him, Reichel posted 15 points (7g, 8a) in just 23 games. That was without all of the players that the Blackhawks traded at the deadline as well. Simply put; the future looked quite bright for the young German forward.

That 53 point pace (per 82 based on said small sample size) excited fans alike as it then coincided with the drafting of generational talent Connor Bedard. Could Lukas Reichel be even better than the 50-60 point top 9 forward we all thought he was becoming just a few months ago? This was the consensus thinking amongst pundits near and far.

As we all know by now though, this season in the NHL hasn't gone the way anyone has wanted it to for the young 1st rounder. With just 10 points (3g, 7a) in 50 games, that perceived 50-60pt forward now looked like a player struggling to find his game again. With demotions on the lines, healthy scratches, and media attention highlighting as much it seemed that Lukas Reichel was in desperate need of a full reset in terms of not only his physical game, but perhaps his mental game.

Was the spotlight too bright now with Connor Bedard in town? Were the expectations unreasonable (we covered the fact that he was a discerned pick somewhere late 1st to early 2nd in the year the Hawks took him 17th overall)? These would certainly lead up to the recent send down (back to) to the AHL (Rockford Icehogs).

While stating his play before with Rockford (108 career points) it will likely take Reichel a moment to settle into his old form. Already with 1 game under his belt for the Piggies against their rival team (Iowa Wild), Reichel could potentially help a struggling Rockford team find some footing towards the end of their season at the very least.

Rockford has struggled this season, and with a 19-21-5-2 record are on the outside of any playoff scenarios at the moment. Could Lukas Reichel help them turn it around late? That outcome is directly related to his confidence in our opinion here at Blackhawk Up. We've all seen it now.... the 53 point NHL season pace, the 100+ points in the AHL, the highlight finishes.... It's now up to him, to find that credence once again and show everyone that he is back to his old self.

Note: The Rockford Icehogs have a rematch tonight against the Iowa Wild (they lost 3-1 on Monday night, Reichel had 0 points in his debut).