Will The Canucks Trade Lukas Reichel Before The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline?
· Yahoo Sports
Since the Vancouver Canucks announced publicly that they would be rebuilding, virtually every player in the organization’s name has been mentioned in trade rumours. With Quinn Hughes gone, it’s felt as though almost anyone could be up for trade, from players with no-movement clauses, to those locked into long-term deals.
Prior to Vancouver’s rebuild declaration, there were still a couple of players whose names had been brought up regarding potential trades. A surprising name early on was Lukas Reichel, who the Canucks only acquired at the end of October but noted they’d be open to trading only a month after. In mid-December, Reichel was put on waivers and sent down to the AHL and has since played out his season with the Abbotsford Canucks.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
Since joining Abbotsford, it’s felt as though the chatter around a potential Reichel trade has halted. This is understandable, given that talks of trading other players have increased significantly since then.
To his credit, Reichel has picked things up at the AHL-level since adjusting to his new surroundings in Abbotsford. The forward is currently riding a six-game point streak in the AHL that has helped him collect six goals and seven assists in 22 games this season. Part of what had made Vancouver’s opinion of him change so drastically was the fact that he’d collected one assist in his 14 games with the Canucks, though, given that he’d been primarily played at centre — a role he hadn’t played in a fair bit of time — it’s not surprising.
Having a strong Olympic campaign hasn’t harmed Reichel’s value either. In Germany’s five-game tournament, the Canucks forward scored two goals and an assist while adjusting to various roles in the lineup. He averaged the fifth-most minutes played per game by a German forward with 16:14. By the end of the tournament, Reichel had spent time on a line with both Tim Stützle and Leon Draisaitl on separate occasions.
Nov 28, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Vancouver Canucks left winger Lukas Reichel (73) controls the puck against the San Jose Sharks in the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn ImagesOne of the biggest concerns about Reichel’s play earlier on was his defensive side of the game, which is something Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote elaborated on when trying to better-understand the forward’s role with the team moving forward. In his deployment at the NHL level, Reichel played with a wide variety of wingers; Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, and Kiefer Sherwood are some that he spent a fair bit of time with.
As his play has grown steadier despite moving around the lineup — he’s played both wing on Abbotsford’s first-line and third-line centre in the past few games — Reichel’s long-term future in Vancouver’s organization will be a question coming into the trade deadline. The forward will be an RFA at the end of this season and is eligible for arbitration depending on how negotiations go. This element complicates what could be an easier fix when it comes to trading him. On one hand, if the Canucks do wish to keep him, they’ll need to give Reichel a qualifying offer that, at the least, matches his current cap-hit of $1.2M AAV. If they choose to move on from him, Reichel will become a UFA and Vancouver will lose out on any asset they could have gotten from trading him (as well as the fourth-round pick in 2027 that they gave up to acquire him).
While it hasn’t risen a whole lot, since the Olympics, Reichel’s stock has seemed to grow slightly. The timing on this is pretty strong given that the trade deadline takes place next week. However, many teams are likely looking at Vancouver’s situation and deciding they aren’t overly keen on making the same choice, especially given the fact that Reichel still remains in the AHL. As much as Reichel could potentially provide a contender with some depth offence, there’s still no guarantee that he’ll perform well enough for a team to want to take a flyer on him when there are other players out on the market with less risk attached.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Canucks Place Defenceman Guillaume Brisebois On Waivers
Report: Former Canucks Forward Kiefer Sherwood Could Be On The Move Again
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News