Bruins re-sign trade acquisition to 1-year contract extension

Lukas Reichel didn’t make much of an impact for either the Vancouver Canucks or Boston Bruins in 2025-26, but he still earned another NHL contract with the latter franchise — although with a pay cut.

“Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, May 14, that the team has signed forward Lukas Reichel to a one-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season with an NHL cap hit of $950,000,” the organization confirmed.

Reichel, who signed a two-year, $2.4 million extension with the Chicago Blackhawks in May of 2024, will take less money and try to carve out a roster spot in Boston next season.

The 23-year-old was once a highly-regarded prospect, being drafted No. 17 overall by the Hawks in the 2020 NHL Draft. He was terrific with the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs in 2021-22, amassing 21 goals and 57 points in 56 games.

He broke into the NHL fulltime the next season, splitting time between the Hawks and IceHogs and chipping in 15 points in 23 games with the big league club.

But the German struggled mightily the next two years; he managed just 16 points in 65 games in 2023-24, and 22 points in 70 games in 2024-25.

Despite starting this campaign strong with four points in five games with the Blackhawks, Reichel was traded to the Canucks in late October for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

He never fit in in Vancouver, managing just one assist in 14 games before being demoted to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. Although he had more success there, the organization cut ties ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, shipping Reichel to Boston for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Reichel ended up appearing in 29 games split between Chicago, Vancouver and Boston in 2025-26, chipping in three goals and eight points. Over 198 career National Hockey League games, he’s added 23 goals and 62 points.

In the AHL, he’s amassed 49 goals and 135 points in 148 career games split between the Providence Bruins, Abbotsford Canucks and Rockford IceHogs.

Although it’s been a tough few years, the Bruins are giving the former first-rounder another chance, and he should battle for a bottom-six role in Beantown in 2026-27.

Reichel will also represent Team Germany at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, which begins on Friday in Switzerland.

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