Java Script (blackhawks)

Sources:
Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, NBC Sports Chicago, The Athletic Chicago

The inevitable just happened.

The inevitable wasn't surprising.

The inevitable is exciting.

Lukas Reichel's recall to the NHL was inevitable and he'll make his debut tonight versus the Canadiens. When knowing what the development plan is for him, it's actually not that disappointing -- if you're in the camp of fans who preferred he stay in the AHL all season -- to see him get a cup of coffee so early.

Admittedly, I was in that camp. A general premise adopted by this camp is the criticism that the Blackhawks have been notoriously impatient with many of their top prospects in recent years by rushing them to the NHL as quickly as possible. Some knew how to swim right away and start to do laps around the competition.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Andrew Shaw, and Brent Seabrook come to mind as those prospects who spent little to no time in the minor leagues and became immediate contributors in their rookie years. Sure, there were growing pains but bursting through that wall to reach new levels of growth wasn't a problem.

However, other prospects (have) treaded water. Look no further than Kirby Dach. It's been debated much of this season whether he should accept an assignment to Rockford for a period of time to work on his deficiencies and gain a confidence boost. Same went for now former Chicago defensemen Adam Boqvist and Henri Jokiharju.

Now is it Reichel's turn to be at that fork in the road where he thrives right away in the NHL and never looks back or has fits and starts with his development as management shows reluctance to have him grow at the more appropriate level with the IceHogs whether for most or all of this season or even parts of next, too?

While there's a new actor in Reichel playing the lead role, is this deja vu for Hawks fans having seen this play before and fear the outcome will still be the same as what was seen when the likes of Dach, Boqvist, and Jokiharju played that same role? Or will Reichel rewrite the script altogether and chart his own unique path?

Those anxieties can be laid to rest as it has been immediately made known by interim head coach Derek King that Reichel is on a defined plan where his pro development in North America started with the farm team, is now making a pit stop with the big club, then will make the premeditated and decided upon detour back to Rockford.

Ideally, Reichel should play no more than 9 games during this cup of coffee or across multiple cups so that the first year of his ELC slides another year. This would help the salary cap as interim general manager Kyle Davidson and either he or his successor balance the numbers to ensure player salary figures are annually compliant.

As King said, "We want to do it right. There's been years of players coming up too early and they don't finish with your team...There’s a game plan with this kid. We don’t want to ruin him. It’s a marathon, not a sprint." Let's hope management stays true to this philosophy not just with Reichel but with all prospects.

So enjoy the start of the Reichel era even if there's an intermission in Rockford before the next act begins as early as the start of next season. There's a lot to be enthusiastic about with Reichel. His stint so far with the Hogs has been nothing short of outstanding. With that in mind, here are a few things to watch from him:

* Game-breaking speed and shiftiness * Ability to change gears on the fly * Fearlessness to drive to and through the tough areas * Willingness to take a hit to make a play * Resilience to rejoin the play after getting hit * High hockey sense, IQ, and creativity * Strong and unwavering compete level * Ability to play all forward positions * Capacity to play in all zones and all situations * Reliable and noticeable without the puck * Equal ability to shoot and set up teammates

--

Next Game vs Canadiens

--

Roster Updates

COVID Protocol

Newly entered into protocol: * None

Still in protocol: * Brandon Hagel, Left Wing * Sam Lafferty, Right Wing * Seth Jones, Defenseman * Jake McCabe, Defenseman * Mike Gapski, Head Athletic Trainer * Troy Parchman, Head Equipment Manager

Out of protocol: * Erik Gustafsson, Defenseman * Kevin Lankinen, Goalie

Taxi Squad

The taxi squad now stands at Reichel and Nicolas Beaudin with the German teen not being there for long as he's expected to make his NHL debut this evening.

Rockford Bound

The shuttle to Rockford revs up with some frequent travelers as Kurtis Gabriel, Mike Hardman, Josiah Slavin, Cale Morris, and Arvid Soderblom head back to the Hogs roster.

--

Prospect Updates

--

Andrew Shaw

--

See you on the boards!

Show Comments
Loading...
Loading...
Loading sidebar...
0
Show comments for this article

Comments

0
comment-bubble
comment-dotscomment-bubble-sharp

NO COMMENTS YET.

Get the conversation started!