Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports (Twitter link) that the Chicago Blackhawks have placed 38-year-old blue liner Michal Rozsival on IR retroactive to January 25th and have recalled Gustav Forsling to take his place. It’s unclear what type of injury has led to Rozsival’s IR stint or how long he’ll be out, according to Charlie Roumeliotis of CSN Chicago.
Rozsival, a veteran of 16 NHL seasons, has served primarily as Chicago’s seventh defenseman this season, appearing in just 14 contests. He has registered a single point and is a minus-two while averaging just more than 15 minutes per game. The former Penguin, Ranger and Coyote was also a member of the 2012-13 and 2014-15 Stanley Cup champion Chicago teams.
Forsling, as Roumeliotis further notes, was sent down to Rockford to ensure he was getting top-four minutes to help advance his development. The rookie defender has appeared in 32 games this season for Chicago, tallying a goal and three assists. The 20-year-old Swede was originally a fifth-round selection, 126th overall, in the 2014 entry draft by Vancouver. He was acquired by Chicago via trade in exchange for fellow blue liner Adam Clendening in January of 2015.