The Chicago Blackhawks have made a couple of announcements this morning, moving Mackenzie Entwistle to injured reserve retroactive to February 14 and revealing that Reese Johnson has been put in the concussion protocol.
Entwistle, 23, has been out for the past week with a wrist injury but was skating on his own before the rest of the Blackhawks hit the ice this morning. The young winger has collected seven points in 46 games, while racking up 88 hits in a depth role. There will likely be plenty of opportunity for players like him down the stretch if Chicago decides to sell several veteran forwards. Still, he’ll have to be healthy enough to take advantage.
Johnson, meanwhile, is in a similar situation as a depth forward on the NHL roster. The 24-year-old has six points in 46 games and leads the club with 142 hits. On Sunday against Toronto, he played over 11 minutes and recorded six hits, three blocks, and a shot on goal. It is unclear how long he’ll be out, but it seems likely that a recall is coming because of the Entwistle IR designation.
The Blackhawks play at home tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights before traveling to Dallas, San Jose, Anaheim, and Arizona on a long road trip.