The Chicago Blackhawks could get rid of Lukas Reichel in a trade with former division rival, the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit finds itself in a similar situation with winger Jonatan Berggren, who, despite receiving ample playing time in the NHL, has yet to break out.
While the Wings signed Berggren to a "prove-it" contract this summer, that doesn't mean much. Berggren's got 29 goals and 58 points in 154 games, plus a minus-28 rating. He's only averaged 13:01 of total ice time per game, and never seemed to fully earn the trust of any coach he's played for.
Last season, Berggren had just 24 points and 12 goals in 75 games, the worst points-per-game mark of his career. So, despite the one-year deal he signed, a change of scenery could be the way to go for Berggren.
Lukas Reichel's struggled alongside the less-than-stellar Chicago Blackhawks for a while
Last season, Reichel played about as well as Berggren, logging 22 points and eight goals in 70 games across 11:55 of average ice time. Reichel also struggled to win face-offs, and finished the year with a minus-16 rating, cementing yet another mediocre campaign.
So, you have a former 17th-overall pick in Reichel and a former 33rd-overall pick in Berggren; two players with a lot of talent and potential who've fallen short since they first entered the league.
While Reichel and Berggren have shown flashes of brilliance - Reichel did have seven goals and 15 points across 23 games in 2022-23, and Berggren logged six points and two goals in 12 games in 2023-24, it's all but a foregone conclusion that their futures aren't with their current teams.
So, why not make what would be a low-risk trade if you're Kyle Davidson and Steve Yzerman? We already saw Kaapo Kakko, someone who never lived to expectations with the New York Rangers, pick up his game the second he put on a Seattle Kraken sweater. Why not try it again with this less-than dynamic duo?
Low risk, potential high reward may await the Blackhawks, Red Wings
Sure, if the Hawks trade Reichel to a place like Detroit for Berggren and he soars while Berggren falters, it would sting. But it could also mean Reichel was a better system fit in Hockeytown, should a scenario like this emerge.
Meanwhile, if Berggren can't figure it out, then the Hawks lost nothing. Reichel isn't a good fit with the team and a lot of fans already know that, so why dwell on it if he picked up his stride in a place like Hockeytown?
It would just open up another slot for a prospect once they're NHL-ready. And probably a better fit than Reichel ever would've been, anyway. Therefore, Davidson needs to make a trade like this happen, and it's not like he doesn't have a good working relationship with Steve Yzerman.
Just a few months back, Yzerman swapped Joe Veleno at the trade deadline for Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith. So, why not make another low-key trade and see if these youngsters can resurrect their respective careers?
