The last thing the Boston Bruins need is another forward to clog up the depth and have to try to fit into the lineup. However, when the forward allows the organization to get younger and more offensively talented, it's the type of risk Don Sweeney has to start taking. If I were part of the front office, I'd be taking a long look at the Chicago Blackhawks and the Lukas Reichel situation.
It looked like Reichel was going to be a big part of the Blackhawks' future. He is the type of player that would fit in with the youth movement in Chicago, and his pass-first mentality was something that should've clicked with Connor Bedard. He exploded onto the scene with 57 points in 56 games in his rookie AHL season, and followed that up the following year with another near-point-per-game output, and added 15 points in 23 games for the Blackhawks.
Many projected the 2023-24 season to be Reichel's breakthrough year. He was a rookie alongside Bedard, and it was the type of connection that could've begun a long, successful run in Chicago. Reichel didn't get the kind of success he wanted right away, registering just 16 points in 65 games that season, which seems to have buoyed his confidence entirely.
The Blackhawks hoped he'd figure it out in his second full season, but the output barely got any better. Although he played in five additional games with Chicago and didn't spend any time in the AHL, he still managed to record only 22 points. While it's too early for the league to give up on the 23-year-old, the consensus is that Chicago should start looking for a fresh start.
The rumors are that Reichel could soon be on the move, and I see no better fit than the Bruins. They are searching for some offensive depth, and Reichel can fit in both at wing and center. Instead of gifting Viktor Arvidsson the second-line winger spot, why not put Reichel in a spot where he can succeed and see if Marco Sturm can get the most out of him?
It wouldn't be a terrible risk for the Bruins to take. Reichel's stock dropped so much that it shouldn't take a massive return to get him, and uniting the German forward with Sturm might be a good home-country connection for Reichel to get his feet back under him. If anyone is going to get the most out of Reichel, you would assume it'd be the only German head coach in the league.
Reichel's tenure with the Blackhawks is mirroring Fabian Lysell's career very closely. While Reichel has much more NHL experience under his belt, the fellow ex-first-rounders are in desperate need of fresh starts. Could a Reichel for Lysell swap be enough for the Blackhawks to bite?