Lukas Reichel is a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks on Sunday.
AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
ST. PAUL, Minn. — One way or another, Sunday will end up marking a pivotal point in Lukas Reichel’s season.
Fed up with his on-ice struggles, the Blackhawks made the 21-year-old forward — their first-round pick in 2020 and top prospect for the past several years — a healthy scratch against the Wild.
With newly acquired first-liner Anthony Beauvillier also unavailable for the game — since he hasn’t yet received his U.S. work visa — it seemed like Reichel had a good chance to move back up next to Connor Bedard for at least a game or two. But Hawks coach Luke Richardson decided this was the moment to send a message.
“I’m sure he’s disappointed, but we need more from him,” Richardson said Sunday morning. “We mentioned this should be him [taking advantage] when there’s an opportunity like Beauvillier not [being] available tonight. ... So we’re disappointed, as well.”
After tallying 15 points in 23 NHL late last season, Reichel has looked nothing like that same player this fall. He has tallied only six points in 22 games, including zero even-strength goals, and he has been frequently invisible in terms of his on-ice impact.
Richardson gave him only 11:29 of ice time — his lowest this season — in Saturday’s loss to the Jets. But his ice time Sunday will be zero; he’ll be watching the game from the press box.
“When he plays with confidence, he seems to have excellent bursts of speed — which we know that he has — and it’s always used in the right direction,” Richardson said. “Now he’s thinking a little bit instead of reacting, and [he’s] chasing the game, and then we don’t see him very much in the game.
“He needs to watch from above tonight and then come back with a little bit of fire, but also regroup mentally so physically he can do his best out there.”
This story will be updated.
