Reichel was the No. 17 overall draft pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and made his debut in a Blackhawks jersey on Jan. 13 against Montreal and went on to appear in a total of 11 games during the 2021-22 season. He tallied one point with an assist and 15 shots.
For Jonathan Toews, he described this moment as a learning opportunity for the young forward. This will allow him to gain the confidence and build off his skillset to become a stronger player in the NHL in the future.
"For a guy like him with his skillset and his size, I don't think there's really any rush," Toews said. "Let him get to play and develop with the team and get confident. We know what kind of player you can be at this level, so there's no rush with a young kid like him."
Last season, Reichel played in 56 games in Rockford registering 57 points (21 G, 36 A). He advanced with the team to the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs after being eliminated by the Texas Stars in the first round. He would record two goals in five games.
Seeing the positive signs in his game throughout training camp, Richardson knows that Reichel needs to hone in on his skillset and pushing himself to reach the end of goal of a full-time roster spot.
"He's just got to dig down and fight for that spot," Richardson said. "He's not going to be a penalty killer or fourth-line energy guy, but he's definitely skillful enough to play in this league. He just has to make sure he keeps pushing to deserve that opportunity."
With his growth throughout his time in the AHL, Toews believes that the 20-year-old forward will find his playing style and become creative with it.
"He's going to be a high-end talent," Jonathan Toews said. "With the way he's going to be successful in this league is if he's allowed to really go out
