The Vancouver Canucks may not be done dealing after trading away superstar Quinn Hughes late last week.
Canucks fans are still coming to terms with the seismic trade that sent the former Canucks captain to the Minnesota Wild for a haul of young players. You might think that management would want time for the team to adjust to such a big move, especially before the holidays, but another deal could be imminent.
Things haven’t worked out between the Canucks and Lukas Reichel since he was traded to Vancouver earlier this season. The German forward cleared waivers on Sunday, and it appears he may be the next domino to fall in this Canucks rebuild.
CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported that Vancouver is actively working on trading Reichel, and a deal may be coming.
“Canucks are trying to trade Reichel,” Dhaliwal shared on social media. “There is a chance of a deal happening.”
Canucks are trying to trade Reichel.
There is a chance of a deal happening.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) December 14, 2025
The former first-round pick was traded to the Canucks back in October in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick going back to the Chicago Blackhawks. This came after he spent the first four seasons of his NHL career struggling to gain a foothold with the Blackhawks.
He had four points in his first five games of the season when he was shipped to Vancouver, but has cooled significantly since, with just a single assist in 14 games with the Canucks. Patience has worn thin around the 23-year-old forward, as he was placed on waivers over the weekend.
Reports hit last month that the team was open to trading Reichel, and it appears things have progressed on that front over the past week or so.
If a trade does come to fruition, fans should not expect anything too crazy. Though Reichel is still young and holds potential, he has not been able to put things together at the NHL level. His career high in points is 22 points, which he recorded in Chicago last season. He has never scored more than eight goals in a single season.
It would be nice if the Canucks could find a way to recoup the fourth-round pick that they initially gave up to acquire Reichel. A team willing to take him on as a low-cost bet should be willing to part with a mid-to-late round draft pick for his services.
Busy days are ahead in Vancouver as the team embarks on this long-awaited rebuild. We will have to wait and see what Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin have up their sleeves.