The Chicago Blackhawks blue line could be thin before tomorrow’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Thankfully for the Blackhawks, this situation is not expected to last long.
Defenseman Connor Murphy, currently on the injured reserve list due to a groin injury, is nearing a return to the active roster after fully participating in today’s practice. However, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that he will not be ready for tomorrow’s game. Additionally, he mentioned that defensemen Seth Jones and Alec Martinez may also miss the game due to illness.
If Chicago has only five healthy defensemen available, they will probably make a brief call-up. With two open roster spots, they don’t need to make any corresponding roster moves. However, this would result in having an abundance of left-handed defensemen for at least one game.
Other injury notes from the Central Division:
- In Chicago, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reported that forward Craig Smith has returned to practice wearing a non-contact jersey. Smith has been recovering from a persistent back injury for the past two months, during which he missed 12 days in mid-December and another 17 days in January. So far this season, he has scored six goals and recorded 11 points in 30 games with the team.
- Outside of more immediate news, the potential return of captain Gabriel Landeskog has been a major storyline for the Colorado Avalanche over the last two years. Speaking to that, Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette reported today that Landeskog has been on the ice more than ever since the 2022-23 season, and fell short of designating him as week-to-week. Landeskog’s hypothetical return could make the loss of Mikko Rantanen more palatable for Colorado’s top-six.