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Chicago Blackhawks Reassign Lukas Reichel

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It seems clear that Lukas Reichel is ready to make an impact at the NHL level, which is why the Chicago Blackhawks have sent him back to the minor leagues today. As they prepare for Patrick Kane’s return, the team has loaned Reichel back to the Rockford IceHogs, clearing a roster spot for the weekend.

Of the four games the 20-year-old forward has played this season, the Blackhawks have won three of them, including one over the Calgary Flames in which he was the second star with three points. Their win last night actually pulled them ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the standings, the opposite of what they are looking to accomplish this year.

There’s an argument to be made that Reichel can benefit from more time in the minor leagues, playing with a Rockford team that should be competitive all year. But he has been a dominant player since the moment he entered that league, scoring at a rate better than a point-per-game through nearly 100 appearances.

There will be plenty of time to see Reichel in Chicago down the road, but for now, it looks like he’ll be limited to minor league action for the next while. After the trade deadline, when the team flips several pending free agents, perhaps he’ll get a more extended chance.

Patrick Kane Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Chicago Blackhawks have moved Patrick Kane to injured reserve retroactively to January 3 when he last played. That means he can come off whenever deemed healthy enough to return. Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago reports that Kane is feeling better and hopes to play on Saturday.

Today’s transaction was to clear room for MacKenzie Entwistle, who has been activated from injured reserve and is ready to go. The 23-year-old winger hasn’t played since December while dealing with a wrist injury.

If Kane does return for Saturday’s game, it means another move is coming down the pipe. The Blackhawks remain at the maximum of 23 players on the roster, without a lot of obvious forward options to send down.

Lukas Reichel, who is still waiver-exempt, has been playing great in this latest call-up, scoring three points on Sunday in just his third game of the season. The 20-year-old is one of the team’s top prospects and looks ready to contribute at the NHL level, but might end up on his way back to the AHL in a few days.

For now, Kane will take time to fully heal and continue to make sure that there is no lingering effect. The legendary Blackhawks forward will be the focus of many trade rumors over the next few weeks, as he decides whether he wants to stay in Chicago or chase the Stanley Cup somewhere else.

If he’s not healthy, that decision doesn’t matter.

Chicago Blackhawks Recall Jaxson Stauber; Reassign Brett Seney

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The Chicago Blackhawks have had famed soccer keeper (and semi-professional hockey goalie) Petr Cech filling in for them at practice the last few days, as Alex Stalock deals with a non-COVID illness. Unfortunately, we won’t get to see him dress as the backup for tomorrow’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. The Blackhawks have recalled Jaxon Stauber from the minor leagues, suggesting that Stalock won’t be ready. To make room, Brett Seney has been loaned back to the Rockford IceHogs.

Stauber, 23, was signed to a two-year entry-level contract last spring after two seasons at Providence College. The 6’3″ netminder was never drafted, but now finds himself in the NHL less than a year into his professional career. In 12 appearances for Rockford, he has posted an .896 save percentage and 3.06 goals-against average, splitting time with Arvid Soderblom, Dylan Wells, and even ECHL starter Mitchell Weeks on occasion.

This recall shouldn’t suggest that Stauber is now third on the organizational depth chart. That’s still Soderblom, who has played in 15 games for the Blackhawks this season. But after suffering a groin injury recently, he’s not available to help fill in. It’s getting awfully thin for Chicago in net, especially given the long injury history of Petr Mrazek, who figures to start tomorrow night.

So thin, in fact, that not only has Cech been helping out, but there was also an appearance at practice from emergency backup extraordinaire Scott Foster this week. Foster is the accountant that appeared in a 2018 game for the Blackhawks and made all seven saves to secure the victory. Despite all that, the team has won two in a row, including an impressive overtime victory against the Calgary Flames on Sunday.

Edmonton Oilers On Jake McCabe's No-Trade List

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  • When discussing potential defense targets for the Edmonton Oilers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast touched on Jake McCabe of the Chicago Blackhawks. Friedman believes that Edmonton is on McCabe’s no-trade list, which could be the end of any speculation that he could be acquired at the deadline. McCabe holds a seven-team NTC, carries a $4MM cap hit and is signed through the 2024-25 season.

Latest On Max Domi

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When the Chicago Blackhawks went out and signed Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou to one-year deals when free agency opened last summer, their goals seemed rather transparent. The club would give them regular minutes in offensive situations to pump up their statistics, and then flip them at the trade deadline for whatever they could get. The Blackhawks aren’t expected to compete this season or next, so it didn’t really matter how well they fit in – only that they secured a future asset in a midseason trade.

While that still may be the case, at least one of them is hoping the Blackhawks change their minds. Domi spoke at length with Scott Powers of The Athletic, explaining that he wants to stay in Chicago and help the club through this rebuild, instead of just being a half-season footnote in it.

Perhaps that is because of how well things have gone so far for Domi, at least in terms of production. The 27-year-old forward is playing center again, regularly lining up beside Patrick Kane, and averaging nearly 19 minutes of ice time. He has 12 goals and 28 points in 39 games, a pace he hasn’t experienced since he put up 72 in 82 games for the Montreal Canadiens in 2018-19. If the club could win, even a little bit more, things might seem pretty perfect for the pending free agent.

The question is, whether Chicago believes Domi can be a key contributor even once they have gone through the rebuilding process and have a lot more talent on the roster. Will he still be so effective if separated from Kane? He gave them a quick look at that future last night when Kane was held out of the lineup. Domi recorded two points including the overtime winner on a beautiful finish, set up by one of the future roster pillars Lukas Reichel.

Perhaps that glimpse is enough to convince general manager Kyle Davidson and the rest of the Blackhawks front office that Domi is a piece to keep around, instead of flip. But there will likely be some tempting offers. Remember, this is basically going exactly according to plan if you consider Chicago’s position. Lose most of your games, but show just enough fight to keep fans interested for the future, while pumping certain players enough to get even more draft capital for them at the deadline. Slowly transition to the young talent – Reichel scored his first NHL goal earlier in the game – with an eye still firmly planted on Connor Bedard and the top of the 2023 draft class.

Davidson has made it clear in the past that he’ll stick to his plan, and move players no matter how well they might fit into the picture right now. So even if Domi wants to stay, the Blackhawks might have other ideas.

Kane, Tinordi Skating; Kane Won't Play Sunday

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Things might not be going so well on the ice for the Chicago Blackhawks this season and while falling down the standings might be the ideal situation for now, the team does still need to ice a healthy lineup for several reasons. For one, the team will need to assure its prime trade assets, such as Patrick Kane, are healthy in order for the team to trade them and maximize their return. For those who might not necessarily be on the move, the team will still want a mix of veterans, perhaps like Jarred Tinordi, in the lineup, along with their young players who need time and experience to develop.

It appears Chicago might have some news on both of the aforementioned players. According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Kane participated in the Blackhawks’ morning skate once again this morning. The winger, who has been skating, missed the team’s game Friday against the Arizona Coyotes and will not play tonight either, adds Powers. Tinordi, who suffered a facial fracture back on December 18th against his former team, the New York Rangers, was also spotted on the ice this morning by NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis.

Ethan Del Mastro Traded In OHL

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  • The NHL trade deadline is still a ways away, but it isn’t too early to start taking a look at what deadline season might look like. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli did just that, taking a look at the market for third-party “cap brokers” who could use the retained salary function to help facilitate trades, in exchange for some compensation. (typically in the form of draft picks) Seravalli reports that the teams most interested in serving as a “cap broker” are the Coyotes, the Chicago Blackhawks, and Anaheim Ducks. He also listed the Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Florida Panthers as teams to potentially look out for in this space.
  • Both Blue Jackets prospect Luca Del Bel Belluz and Blackhawks prospect Ethan Del Mastro were part of a major trade in the OHL today. Del Bel Belluz, a 2022 second-round pick, and Del Mastro, a 2021 fourth-rounder, were sent to the Sarnia Sting in exchange for a package of forwards and draft picks. Both players are expected to play major roles for the Sting going forward, with Del Bel Belluz having scored 41 points in 34 OHL games so far this season, while Del Mastro played a role in Team Canada winning gold at the World Junior Championships.

Prospect Colton Dach Traded In The OHL

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  • Blackhawks prospect Colton Dach is on the move as Seattle of the WHL announced that they’ve acquired the 20-year-old from Kelowna for two players and three draft picks. The center was injured while playing for Canada at the World Juniors but is expected to recover well before the playoffs begin in March.  Dach has already signed his entry-level deal with Chicago and will be able to play in the minors next season making this a pure rental on the part of the Thunderbirds.  Dach has 17 points in 14 games so far this season.

Patrick Kane Misses Practice Due To 'Maintenance'

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  • After leaving early on Tuesday night, Patrick Kane’s status was completely unclear. When he was absent as practice started for the Chicago Blackhawks today, alarm bells rang out. Luckily, it seems like he has avoided serious injury, as the Blackhawks listed it as a maintenance day. Andreas Athanasiou was also missing with a non-COVID illness. With so many fans expecting Kane to be the belle of the trade deadline ball this year, a serious injury could throw a wrench into the next few weeks. Hopefully, this will prove to be nothing more than a minor ailment that needs some rest.

Chicago Blackhawks Recall Lukas Reichel, Brett Seney

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The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled a top prospect, bringing up Lukas Reichel from the minor leagues along with Brett Seney. The club needed some extra bodies after placing MacKenzie Entwistle and Jujhar Khaira on injured reserve (retroactive to December 27).

Reichel, 20, is arguably the team’s top forward prospect, selected 17th overall in 2020. After spending his post-draft season in Germany, Reichel has come and dominated at the AHL level, scoring 93 points in 88 games since the start of 2021-22. During that time he has also received 12 games at the NHL level, but is still looking for his first goal.

Only one of those appearances has come this season, as the Blackhawks continue to keep most of their prospects sheltered in the minor leagues. No more, apparently, as it looks like Reichel may get a chance to test himself at the highest level. In 32 games with the Rockford IceHogs this season he has 36 points, but that actually trails the player he’s coming up with.

Seney, 26, has long been a minor league star and has 38 points to lead the IceHogs and trail only Michael Carcone for the league lead. The undersized forward has just 55 appearances at the NHL level, almost all of them coming with the New Jersey Devils in 2018-19, when he scored all 13 of his career points.

Reichel is in the second year of his entry-level contract and won’t be a restricted free agent until the summer of 2024. The Blackhawks may want to give him a good look before potentially inserting him full-time into the lineup next season. But a return for both players to Rockford should eventually be expected, giving the minor league club a chance to compete for a championship. Rockford is 19-10-3 so far and has won four in a row.

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