Canucks respond to injury crisis with surprise trade with Blackhawks

The Canucks announced Friday that they’ve acquired center Lukas Reichel from the Blackhawks in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. Vancouver had announced shortly before the move that forward Teddy Blueger has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Sunday, as the corresponding transaction.

The 23-year-old is coming to Vancouver with two goals and two assists for four points in five games so far this season, his fifth with the Hawks. Selected in the first round, 17th overall by Chicago in 2020, Reichel had eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 70 games last season while playing an average of 11:55 per game.

He is on a two-year, $2.4 million deal that pays him $1.2 million annually. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

Insider Pierre LeBrun later pointed out that Reichel had asked for a trade, looking for a better fit elsewhere.

“Reichel’s agent Allain Roy says things were not contentious. He credits Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson for how things were handled. Says they had been discussing it for a while.”

The Canucks had to place Blueger on injured reserve earlier today, meaning the void needed to be filled fast. He suffered a leg ailment on Sunday against the Washington Capitals and was a scratch in both Pittsburgh and Nashville before of the injury. He landed on IR, meaning he’ll miss at least the next two games — Saturday vs. Montreal, Sunday vs. Edmonton.

Reichel has a shot to fill the void for Vancouver with this trade as the Canucks' infirmary is getting crowded.