Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks are gearing up for a pivotal 2025-26 NHL season. With Jeff Blashill taking over behind the bench, reports indicate Chicago is reportedly losing patience on one young player.
The Blackhawks are looking to take a step forward in the upcoming campaign, with all eyes fixed on Bedard. As the 19-year-old enters his third year in the NHL, Blashill is faced with the tall order of refilling the wonderkid’s confidence. The last season wasn’t kind to the former first overall pick in 2023, yet he’s determined to come back stronger.
Regardless of the sophomore slump, Bedard led the Blackhawks in points for the second-straight season. What’s a rough year for Chicago’s lynchpin, could be a career-high for many other talents in the NHL.
If Chicago wants to keep its hopes alive for the upcoming campaign, it must surround Bedard with more talent—or at least fewer liabilities. On that note, Blashill and the front office have reportedly decided that moving on from Lukas Reichel might be for the best.
Lukas Reichel #27 of the Chicago Blackhawks skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on April 02, 2024 in Elmont, New York.
Testing the waters
“The Blackhawks aren’t desperate to move Lukas Reichel, but he’s certainly available if someone is interested. The Blackhawks just don’t know where Reichel fits any longer. They feel as though other young players are now more deserving of top-six opportunities,” according to The Athletic’s Scott Powers.
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“Those chances could go to Colton Dach, Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis this season. The Blackhawks also don’t think Reichel has shown enough to give them optimism he’s going to work in a bottom-six role. If Reichel is on the roster at the start of the season, he’ll have to really change some minds.“
The former first-round selection in the 2020 NHL entry Draft has one year remaining in his two-year, $1.2M AAV deal he signed prior to the 2024-25 season. Once the 2025-26 campaign comes to an end, Reichel will become a restricted free agent (RFA).
Up and coming
While the Blackhawks’ plan for Reichel might not have panned out as expected, breakout talent Ryan Donato is confident in what he sees. Bedard draws all the attention in the Windy City, but the Blackhawks definitely have other rising stars set to take centerstage.
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“[They’re] pushing themselves to make a big jump right away at the beginning of the season,” Ryan Donato said about the team’s young core, via Ben Pope of Chicago Sun-Times. “Obviously there’s a lot of young guys, so the internal competition is going to be great. It’s an incredible bright spot for the Blackhawks.”
