NHL: Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks - Source: Imagn — Mark Lazarus questions Chicago Blackhawks' handling of Lukas Reichel's development (Source: Imagn)

Mark Lazarus blasts Chicago Blackhawks' handling of "supremely gifted" former 1st round pick

Modified Oct 20, 2024 05:33 GMT

NHL insider Mark Lazarus has expressed strong concerns about how the Chicago Blackhawks are handling Lukas Reichel, a former first-round pick. After the team's 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Lazarus emphasized that the main issue revolves around player development, especially for younger talents like Reichel.

This season, the Blackhawks have been competitive, which is good for fans. However, Lazarus feels Reichel is being let down. The 22-year-old winger is struggling to find his place. He has played limited minutes on the fourth line and was a healthy scratch on the team's road trip. This is concerning, especially since he finished last season strong.

"Reichel, the supremely gifted and supremely frustrating former first-round pick is so deep in the doghouse, that he’s finding 'help'emessages scrawled on the wall by Brandon Pirri and Jeremy Morin," Mark Lazerus wrote (via nytimes.com).

Mark Lazarus argued that the team is holding Reichel back by using him in bottom-six roles and said he should get a chance to play in the top six.

He added that playing with skilled players like Taylor Hall or Tyler Bertuzzi would help him regain confidence and show his abilities, as keeping him with less skilled players has not been effective and has hurt his confidence.

Lukas Reichel's potential highlights need for development opportunities with Chicago Blackhawks

Insider Mark Lazarus also compared Lukas Reichel to Dylan Strome, who struggled under former coach Jeremy Colliton. Strome often played in the bottom six, which limited his success. After leaving the Chicago Blackhawks, he found success in Washington.

Lazarus said Reichel could thrive similarly if given a fair chance with better teammates.

"He’s certainly faster. Certainly a better defender... The irony here is that, for whatever reason, that 90-second first period did seem to get Reichel going."

"He had a tremendous second period...He was all over the ice and made a strong pass on the first Smith goal and created a turnover and got off a shot that led directly to the second Smith goal."

Reichel had limited ice time against Buffalo but assisted on two goals, showing that he can make an impact with more opportunities. Lazarus said if Reichel could do this in a short time, he could do even better for the Chicago Blackhawks with consistent ice time.