It sure seemed like the Chicago Blackhawks were going to keep Lukas Reichel around for more than just a week this time.
But that perception was not the reality, as the Blackhawks assigned the 2020 first-round pick back to the IceHogs on Friday afternoon.
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 13, 2023
This move appears to clear the way for Patrick Kane to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Saturday’s home game against the Seattle Kraken. Kane was placed on IR on Thursday but that appeared to be just a procedural move, with the retroactive date allowing for Kane to be activated in time to play this weekend.