No one ever doubted the upside of Boston Bruins forward Lukas Reichel. This past season's trade deadline acquisition may not have had the greatest end to the season split between Boston and Providence, but he also didn't hurt the Bruins when he was in the lineup. The speedy forward showed glimpses of why teams keep believing in his ceiling, and somewhat justified Don Sweeney's decision to re-sign him.
The part that isn't justified is that the Bruins are already deep in their forward group with prospects knocking on the door for playing time. By adding Reichel to the mix, upside or not, it blocks some other young players in Providence who could soon graduate to full-time duties. With the way Reichel played at the World Championships, it's easy to wonder if the front office knew what they were doing.
Reichel was the highest-scoring Bruin who played at the World Championship, totaling four goals and four assists in just six games, as Germany didn't make it to the knockout round of the tournament. I would be remiss if I didn't note that four of those points came in a 6-2 win over Austria, who finished below Germany in the standings, but an offensive breakout with a hat trick is worth celebrating nonetheless.
Best case? This breakout gives Reichel the confidence to get back to a level where he can be an offensive contributor in the NHL again, flashing back to the season where he had 15 points in 23 games with the Chicago Blackhawks. If that happens, the Bruins suddenly have someone within the organization who might replace the output they'll lose with Viktor Arvidsson unlikely to return.
Worst case? Reichel continues to struggle to produce points at the NHL level, which while it'd be disappointing, isn't going to be unexpected for a fanbase that already has their issues with the signing. In that case, the Bruins likely bury him in the minors and give him a chance to prove to another team that there is upside there.
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