The Chicago Blackhawks on signed forward Lukas Reichel to a new two-year contract on Tuesday that runs through the 2025-26 season and has an average annual salary (AAV) and cap hit of $1.2 million.
Reichel also became the sixth Blackhawks player slated to skate at the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Czechia. He'll play for Germany after finishing the season in North America with the Rockford IceHogs, who were eliminated from the AHL playoffs on Sunday.
Reichel, from Nürnberg, has played for Germany twice previously at the IIHF World Championship, in 2020 and 2021, posting 11 points in 13 total games.
Reichel was selected by the Blackhawks in the first round, 17th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft. He was considered Chicago's top prospect before the team drafted Connor Bedard first overall in 2023.
The 21-year-old Reichel just completed a three-year, entry-level contract he signed in June 2021 and that had an AAV of $1.37 million, including bonuses.
Reichel was slotted as Chicago's No. 2 forward behind Bedard in 2023-24, but had a disappointing season despite ample opportunity and ice time. He posted just five goals and 16 points in 65 games, and was sent to Rockford for a month from mid-February through mid-March.
He returned to Chicago for the end of the regular season, then continued at Rockford in the AHL playoffs. He played well in four postseason games and had two goals and two assists with the IceHogs, who were eliminated from the opening round by Grand Rapids in four games.
The 6-foot, 170-pound Reichel has registered 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 99 career NHL games with Chicago from 2022-24.
Other Blackhawks players skating at the IIHF World Championship are Bedard (Canada), defensemen Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic (USA), goalie Petr Mrazek (Czechia) and forward Philipp Kurashev (Switzerland).