Canucks facing imminent trade of player they just brought in

The Vancouver Canucks appear ready to move on from forward Lukas Reichel, less than a month after acquiring him. According to insider Rick Dhaliwal on Donnie and Dhali, the 23-year-old is now available for trade after a difficult start in Vancouver.

Dhaliwal bluntly put it:

“Reichel was a healthy scratch last night. One point in 13 games, no shots on goal in the last six… With Höglander and Blueger not far away, a Lekkerimäki call-up not far away, Reichel is now available. I heard last night that you can get Reichel out of Vancouver.”

Reichel has struggled to find his footing since the Canucks acquired him from Chicago on October 24, hoping he could temporarily stabilize the second-line centre role. Instead, the experiment fizzled quickly: one point in 13 games, a shrinking role, and eventually a healthy scratch.

What makes this situation even more striking is how fast it’s deteriorated. The Canucks gave up a 2027 fourth-round pick to get him, expecting a low-risk, possibly high-reward project player. Instead, they now seem prepared to cut ties barely a month later.

With forwards Nils Höglander and Teddy Blueger getting close to returning, and top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki pushing for NHL time, Reichel has been squeezed out of the lineup altogether.

What began as an opportunity for player and team is now looking like a messy breakup in record time.