And the progression he continued to take from the Blackhawks' first look at him a year earlier played a key role in their confidence to take the playmaker in the opening round, with his trajectory expected to only continue upward.
"You could tell he was a 17 year old playing in a men's league," Bowman said of the game in Berlin. "I went back again in late January for a trip in Europe and I got a chance to see him play and it was a pretty impressive progression just for those couple months. I watched some games as well when he played in February. I didn't see those live, but I watched the steps that he took. Really impressed with his overall game."
"Because of the IQ, his ability to play with skill players, we think he has the potential to be an impact player and play in the top six," Kelley said after the draft. "His IQ and his puck skills, I think we project him to be able to play with a Kirby (Dach), with a 'Kaner,' certainly with a (Alex) DeBrincat. He has that kind of play-making ability that he can make fast plays."
The tools, Kelley said, are there for Reichel to be a staple of the Blackhawks lineup for many years to come.
Today, though, Reichel's not physically ready to make the jump to the NHL quite yet, acknowledging he still needs to get stronger to compete at the highest level. He's already making strides as he awaits the still-to-be-decided start of the German season, adding nearly 15 pounds to his frame since March as he continues to work with the Eisbären staff to further his maturation.