Lukas Reichel has played seven games since being traded to the Vancouver Canucks.
The Vancouver Canucks' big in-season move so far has been the acquisition of Lukas Reichel. The 23-year-old was acquired via trade from the Chicago Blackhawks on October 25, with Vancouver sending a 2027 fourth-round pick in return. Through seven games, Reichel has yet to find the scoresheet but has produced nine shots while averaging 15:54 of ice time.
While Reichel has not recorded any points, he has been an impactful player since joining the Canucks. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has created six individual high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five while posting the second-highest max skating speed as per NHL EDGE. Ultimately, Vancouver is trying to put Reichel in a position to succeed, which includes playing him on the second line at center ice.
After Wednesday's loss to the Blackhawks, Head Coach Adam Foote was asked about Reichel's performance over his first seven games. As mentioned, Reichel does not have any points, but has been able to create some offensive chances thanks to his high-end skating. Overall, the answer featured both positives as well as areas of improvement that Foote and his coaching staff are working on with Reichel.
"I mean, he's got speed," said Foote. "He can make plays, things like that. He's trying to figure it out. We've had different line combinations. He's learning to play our system and learning to defend more with his body. I think once he starts doing that, he'll have even more success. But I think he's got to do that as well. On the offensive side of it, get his body in the guys at the net. Get his body in the guys on the walls, and our coaches are working on that with them."
With only four scheduled full practices in the next 14 days, Foote and his team will need to hope Reichel picks up the system and develops chemistry with his linemates quickly. It is clear that he is a talented, offensive forward, but now needs to showcase that he can be a consistent second-line center at the NHL level. It won't be easy, but based on the answer above, Foote and his coaching staff sound determined to help Reichel add more dimensions to his game.
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