Was Lukas Reichel Drafted Too High By The Chicago Blackhawks?

"Back when Jägermeister was an official sponsor of the NHL (and they missed a golden sponsorship opportunity with Jaromir Jagr) they would always run a commercial with a girl saying "of course it's cold, it's German". Why do we bring that up? Well there have been quite a few hockey players from Deutschland taking the NHL by storm. Back when Leon Draisatl was drafted third overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, they were a rarity."

"At the time, Reichel at 17 was a bit of a reach. Bleacher Report had him going 31st overall to the San Jose Sharks in one of their mock drafts. A redraft from The Athletic two seasons ago gave Reichel too much credit and re-drafted him with the 14th overall pick. To be fair, draft guru Bob McKenzie didn't have Reichel that far off ranked at No. 20 in his June 2020 rankings."

German-born NHL players have become increasingly common since Leon Draisatl's high draft selection in 2014. Lukas Reichel was taken 17th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2020 draft and later traded to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2027 fourth-round pick. The 2020 draft evaluation process was heavily affected by pandemic disruptions, with cancelled tournaments and shortened junior seasons reducing scouting data, particularly for overseas players in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Many analysts viewed Reichel as a reach at 17, with mock drafts and redrafts placing him widely, while some experts ranked him closer to the late teens or early twenties. Chicago's roster situation, still carrying veteran stars while inching toward a rebuild, influenced draft decisions.

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