I’ve also liked Reichel for years. Two month sample size isn’t nothing. Especially considering the other positive sample size is smaller.
It’s hard to go PPG as a 19 year old in the AHL. The talent is there.
It's how I feel about Phillips and Kaiser too. Zaitsev has been a pretty solid #6RD. Phillips and Kaiser have both looked decent in stretches playing third pairing LD. Sit em both down, tell them no matter how well or poorly you play, barring injury you're playing every other night at this level over the next thirty games. They've each looked bad, mostly playing together with whoever is playing their offside looking worse. Tell them we'll evaluate after the next thirty games and the winner gets a prolonged stretch to end the year playing every night. No mental gymnastics, direct competition.
Instead we get a rotating veteran like Tinordi playing regularly who is an absolute plug that can blow guys up and punch faces but cannot play NHL hockey.
Kids don't look good next to him. No kidding.