The Blackhawks, having exhausted all ideas to try to jump-start struggling forward Lukas Reichel this season, have resorted to an option that once seemed inconceivable: sending him back to the AHL.
Reichel, 21, was assigned Sunday to Rockford and will join the IceHogs for a busy four-game week, starting Monday and Wednesday in Iowa. The transaction opens an NHL roster spot for veteran forward Anthony Beauvillier, who might return Monday against the Hurricanes after a six-week stint on injured reserve because of a broken wrist.
Reichel spent the vast majority of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons in the AHL and thoroughly dominated that level, notching 108 points in 111 games. Entering this season, the Hawks believed he had graduated into being a full-time NHL player.
It took 50 frustrating, largely fruitless NHL games this season — during which Reichel had only 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and made very few of the game-breaking, talent-demonstrating plays that stood out in his game previously — to change their minds.
They tried all sorts of approaches to spark him: moving him from center to wing; moving him around in the top six; demoting him to a bottom-six role with fewer responsibilities; making him a healthy scratch several times; and having coach Luke Richardson, assistant coach Derek King and skills coach Brian Keane work with him closely and individually.
Nothing worked, and Reichel’s production only worsened in recent months (four points in 29 games since Dec. 2 and only five shots on goal in 10 games since Jan. 10). He struggled defensively, too, spiraling to a putrid 37.4% scoring-chance ratio during five-on-five play that ranks as the third-worst on the team (ahead of only defenseman Jarred Tinordi and forward Tyler Johnson).
He had hoped a promising performance against the Flames right
before the All-Star break, followed by a mental break from hockey during his parents’ visit to Chicago during the break, would ignite a stronger stretch run.
‘‘It wasn’t the first half that I was expecting, but I know I’ve got to play better,’’ Reichel said Feb. 5. ‘‘I learned a lot from it mentally [about] what it takes to play every game consistently. And it takes time, but I’m still young.’’
He received only 12:19 and 9:46 of ice time in the first two games after the break, however, then endured an especially poor game Tuesday against the Canucks. He made several soft plays in the first period, including a drop-pass to nobody and several weak clearance attempts along the defensive blue line that contributed to a marathon shift in which his line was stuck in the defensive zone for more than two minutes.
Reichel didn’t dress for the last two games, and Richardson’s mindset toward him seemed to shift. Richardson was asked about the possibility of sending Reichel to Rockford after practice Wednesday and Friday, and he answered the same question differently the second time.
‘‘That can be something that we’ll exercise, if need be,’’ Richardson said Friday. ‘‘We’ve been so banged up, I don’t think we could’ve really [demoted anyone] up until this point. Maybe that’s an option going forward, just to help someone get out of the rut.
‘‘Sometimes it’s an instant blow to someone’s confidence. Their personality feels like it’s taken a hit; they’re embarrassed they didn’t succeed. But the reason [for] using that tool is to succeed. It has done well for him in the past, so it could be something we look at in the future.’’
Sunday ended up being that future date. The Hawks remain likely to re-sign Reichel as a restricted free agent this summer — he won’t be expensive, after all — but there’s ample reason for concern at this point.
