Brown: Lukas Reichel, Wyatt Kaiser Can Finish What they Started

If indeed the kids are alright, now the’s best time to find out. With 14 games left in the season, both Lukas Reichel and Wyatt Kaiser being back with the Blackhawks is the right call. The front office and coaching staff have seen plenty this season–from injuries crippling the team to the contract termination of Corey Perry. The usual shift from Chicago to Rockford occurred, with some staying up longer (Joey Anderson) while others have ended up back with the IceHogs (Isaak Phillips, Cole Guttman). Both Wyatt Kaiser and Lukas Reichel spent their respective time honing their games, and now return with more to prove than when the season started.

Wyatt Kaiser, Lukas Reichel Have a Chance To Finish What They Started

Both had their struggles, sorted them out in Rockford, and are now back with the Blackhawks to work their way back into the regular rotation. Reichel looked good in the Blackhawks 5-2 win Sunday against San Jose. It remains to be seen where Kaiser is set to fit in.

But the opportunity to let him work back into the defensive pairings is right. He’ll still have a year left on his contract following this season so there’s plenty of room to wiggle in. But the top four seems set for next season unless the front office has other plans. Connor Murphy, Seth Jones, Kevin Korchinski and Alex Vlasic. I still believe much of how the Blackhawks attack this offseason will be influenced by how the lottery plays out. Should Macklin Celebrini fall into their lap, much like Connor Bedard did, then it shifts the landscape of the rebuild entirely. A slower pace may be sped up a bit because the Blackhawks are looking at a far brighter future than they could have imagined two seasons ago.

Back to the current situation: Reichel certainly seems more comfortable and confident at wing. Kaiser can work from both sides of the blue line. Despite how the season played out, both still hold value in the system and both are still very young in the grand scheme of the rebuild. Many on the current roster will not return and both 21-year-olds have another opportunity to be on next year’s roster from the start–again.

Now, more than ever, is a time for them to cement their status as the season comes to a close. Competition will become more fierce as more in the Blackhawks pipeline find their way up. Again, some will make it and others will not. But both Reichel and Kaiser are back where they started this season.

It’s the right call, too.