The youth movement that on the current Chicago Blackhawks roster hasn’t had the easiest time getting consistent ice time throughout the season. Even though there is solid blend of youngsters and veterans on this Blackhawks roster compared to previous years, the results have not been there.
Following two losses over the weekend, the Blackhawks remain in second-to-last place in the NHL with 41 points and a 17-33-7 record. The key free agent additions that general manager Kyle Davidson made over the summer have put up solid numbers, but they still haven’t been enough to get the franchise out of the league’s basement.
For a team struggling as much as the Blackhawks have this year, a logical thing to do would be to have the young pieces on the roster snag more ice time when games appear to be out of reach. Since the veterans haven’t been getting the job done either, prioritizing the future should be the main focus for the front office and coaching staff. However, a bump in the road during Sunday’s loss to the Maple Leafs has fans scratching their heads once again.
Lukas Reichel was benched by the Chicago Blackhawks staff
Lukas Reichel did not receive any ice time for half of the second period and all of the third in Sunday’s 5-2 loss at home against Toronto. It was the third straight defeat for Chicago and their second loss of the weekend coming out of the Four Nations break. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen kept it short and simple when asked about why Reichel was lifted from the game.
“It was a coach’s decision. I didn’t like his game,” Sorensen said.
Reichel had trouble getting on former head coach Luke Richardson’s good side and it appears he is in Sorensen’s dog house for the time being. The 2020 first round draft choice has five goals and 11 assists in 50 games this year. After struggling to produce in the 65 games that he played in a season ago, this year is seen as a true make or break year for Reichel.
The 22-year-old losing out on ice time because the interim coach doesn’t like his game is a tough look and is certainly confusing for fans who are hoping to see if Reichel can break through at some point. While those hopes were likely dashed earlier in the season, having young pieces of this roster get ice time when games are out of hand should be important for this coaching staff at the end of the day.
Other young Chicago Blackhawks share Lukas Reichel’s pain
Reichel isn’t the only young Blackhawk who has seen inconsistent ice time this season. Young defensemen Nolan Allan and Ethan Del Mastro have been in and out of the lineup all year long in favor of veteran T.J. Brodie. Allan was placed on the all-rookie team at the quarter mark of the season but hasn’t seen the same success since because of him being a healthy scratch every three games.
Del Mastro has been taxied back and forth from the AHL to Chicago for most of the season. He is another young blue liner in the Blackhawks prospect pool that the front office is high on, yet he can’t draw into the lineup because of veterans standing in the way.
When push comes to shove, young players on this Chicago squad should be getting ice time regardless of the situation. The only race that the team is going to be involved in down the stretch is for the first overall pick and if they are going to lose games, they might as well do so with the future of the franchise getting to learn in-game.
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