The speedy Reichel, the Blackhawks first-round draft pick in 2020, is stronger, more confident and seems ready to break through in 2023-24. The 21-year-old could be Chicago's No. 2 center behind Bedard
Everyone expects Connor Bedard, the Chicago Blackhawks' – and NHL’s – top prospect, to make a big impact this season.
Lukas Reichel was the Blackhawks' top prospect before Chicago drafted Bedard first overall in 2023. And now it’s time for Reichel, a speedy 21-year-old German, to make his mark in the NHL as well.
“I kind of had it in my head that’s it’s going to be the year," Reichel said. "I always had it in my mind."
So does coach Luke Richardson, who has hinted Reichel could be the team’s No. 2 center behind Bedard this season. In scrimmage on Monday, Richardson placed Reichel between fleet wingers Andreas Athanasiou and Philipp Kurashev.
They lined up against Bedard, with Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato on the flanks.
The result: Bedard and Reichel each had two goals. Both were flashy and flying on the ice.
“(Reichel’s) got the explosive speed that he can go from zero to 60 as fast as anybody,” Richardson said. “I think he knows his responsibility defensively. He’s just got to play as hard defensively as he does offensively.”
In other words, Reichel needs to consistently get back and use his skating down low as the center in defensive coverage.
Selected in the first round, 17th overall in 2020, Reichel was supposed to be project, unlike Bedard. The soft-spoken Reichel was quick, but thin, and needed to add strength and confidence. Assistant coach Derek King said it looked like Reichel weighed about 150 pounds soaking wet following his NHL debut in January 2022.
After training in Germany over the summer, the 6-foot Reichel says he’s now just under 190 lean pounds.
“I don’t feel like I lost my skating ability,” Reichel said. “I feel like I got stronger.”
The Blackhawks didn’t rush Reichel last season, although he was called up to Chicago three times from Rockford of the AHL. In 23 total NHL games, the forward had seven goals and eight assists and played well in spurts.
But Reichel spent most of the past two seasons, his first two in North America, with Rockford. In 2022-23, the goal was not just to get used to playing on a smaller ice surface and at a faster pace that in Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga, but also to work on a solid two-way game.
“I love playing center,” Reichel said. “I can use my skating a speed a lot. I feel like I have a bigger role than the last two years and I like that challenge.
“I just want to play my game and play my way. We have a good young team, good mix with old and young guys, so it’s going to be an exciting season.”
Reichel, like Bedard, will need patient counseling from Richardson as they adapt to a mantra of "smart defense leads to quick offense." You can’t work magic with the puck until you get it back, and that’s everyone’s job.
“When there are expectations offensively, they always want to lean to the offense and maybe skate by – and hope someone gets that puck out,” Richardson said. “I think he (Reichel) may need to put the brakes on sometimes in the D-zone and make the right play.”
That applies also to forwards like Athanasiou and Kurashev, who clicked at high tempo with Reichel, albeit in a scrimmage.
“That line right now, with the speed they have, they don’t have to cheat on the offense,” Richardson said. “They just have to play responsible defensively and get the puck. It’s going to be hard for teams to get it back from them.”