2 Chicago Blackhawks Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the Chicago Blackhawks this season.

Wyatt Kalynuk

It's likely Kalynuk was expected to make the Hawks' starting roster this season but was sidelined with an ankle sprain. He was only activated off of IR earlier this week and quickly got assigned to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. With DMan Riley Stillman seeing his ice time cut down this year, Kalynuk has a good chance to take over his spot in the lineup with some strong play with the IceHogs. So far so good, in two games he's got 1 goal and 2 points, quickly showing that he's still playing at a high level despite the weeks taken off for his recovery. A former 2017 7th-round pick by Philadelphia, Kalynuk went unsigned by his draft club and inked his ELC with the Blackhawks. He's already started to reward that decision, playing in 21 NHL games for Chicago last year and scoring 4 goals and 9 points. He's well on his way to breaking back in to the NHL roster, and potentially solidifying his spot there going forward.

Lukas Reichel

Not much of a surprise here, Chicago's top prospect outside of the NHL is showing off serious skill in the AHL. In only his first 10 games in North America he's put up 6 goals, 9 points, is leading the IceHogs in goal scoring, and is second in points. The 17th-overall pick from 2020 is making the case that he's ready to jump right into the NHL. Given the Hawks troubling start to the season, their roster could use a shakeup and Reichel could be the perfect ingredient. A speedy, versatile winger, Reichel is a 200-foot puck-hound who gives his full effort on every shift, never giving up on a play and working pucks loose with his effort. He's the kind of player that can energize a struggling team, and he can score some pretty sweet goals while he's at it.

Heckuva goal from Lukas Reichel (#27 in white) here! He turns on the jets and finds the back of the net. It’s only a matter of time until he’s called up to Chicago. Josiah Slavin (#36) with the assist.
Heckuva goal from Lukas Reichel (#27 in white) here! He turns on the jets and finds the back of the net. It’s only a matter of time until he’s called up to Chicago. Josiah Slavin (#36) with the assist. #Blackhawks #HockeyTwitter #HawksProspects #IceHogs #EBB #DEL pic.twitter.com/4uucaXpI9q
— Chicago Prospects (@Chi_Prospects) November 7, 2021