Lukas Reichel was traded this Friday from the Chicago Blackhawks for a Vancouver Canucks 4th-round pick in 2027.

Lukas Reichel was traded this Friday from the Chicago Blackhawks for a Vancouver Canucks 4th-round pick in 2027.

The Trade:

On Friday, October 24th, Chicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel was sent to the Vancouver Canucks for a 4th round pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft. This deal goes down after months of trade rumors connecting the Canucks to the former first-rounder. 

The Story: 

At last, the domino finally falls. After nearly two years of rumors, Lukas Reichel has officially left the squad. One of the few pieces kept by Kyle Davidson after cleaning house of players like Kirby Dach, Brandon Hagel, and Alex DeBrincat, among others. Reichel was expected to be a big part of the team’s future. Unfortunately, this never transpired as Lukas Reichel could never find a solid spot in the lineup. He could never replicate the success he had in Rockford.

The German national had 22 points in 70 games last year for Chicago. He now joins a Vancouver team looking to make the playoffs again after missing last year. This follows a run to Game 7 of the second round in 2024.  

Story continues below.

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Trade Grades:

Chicago Blackhawks: C-

Yes, the Chicago Blackhawks had no leverage. Yes, the rumors had been flying for a while. The past two seasons have all but tanked Reichel’s value. However, it felt like the Blackhawks could have gotten so much more from the trade. Lukas currently has 4 points (2G, 2A) in only 5 games played so far. The writing has been on the wall, as under three different coaches, Reichel could never crack a solid Top 6 role. 

Vancouver Canucks: B 

Low risk-high reward. The Canucks look incredibly flawed, especially offensively. Elias Petterson has not had the renaissance that fans and the media thought he would after the departure of JT Miller. This season, Vancouver has the 7th fewest goals per game at only 2.63GF/PG. They also have the 4th fewest shots per game at just 24.8. Lukas Reichel is projected to be a top-6 player for the Canucks. This should help create the offense that Vancouver is so desperately in need of. With just a fourth-round pick going the other way, Canucks are banking on Reichel. They hope he finally lives up to the potential that made him the 17th overall pick in 2020.Â