Brooke's Blackhawks Blurbs: Return to the Rink, Injury Updates & Winter Classics

A look into all the important updates from the Blackhawks, as told by the author herself!

Hey, Blackhawks fans!

The Chicago Blackhawks have officially returned from the All-Star Break, and it was 10 long days without hockey. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks did not come back with a bang, as they extended their losing streak to five games with a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 7.

As the team is getting re-acclimated to the hockey grind and the second half of the season rolls on, here are some updates from the team.

Let’s get right to it!

1. Connor Bedard is Close, but Not Close Enough.

Connor Bedard was doing slap shots in practice, which is a big update considering he was under specific instructions early on to avoid big slap shots to avoid “clenching his jaw.” Even though it’s an exciting sight to see him be able to do slap shots now, it doesn’t make his return timeline any closer. Head coach Luke Richardson said his timeline remains the same (six weeks from the Jan. 5 injury date) but that he is ramping up his conditioning and can only participate in non-contact drills until the doctors say otherwise.

However, Bedard was able to participate in some festivities during the All-Star weekend, and he even said, “I feel good, and I feel ready. If it were up to me, I would been back.” It’s great to hear that he is feeling good and itching to get back.

Fans (and him) just have to be a bit more patient… we can do it!

2. Another One Returns

Tyler Johnson went on the team’s 4-game road trip before the All-Star Break and was thought to maybe make his return during that time, but that ended up being a no-go. However, coach Richardson said he should be good to go against Minnesota. He hasn’t played since Dec. 31 due to a right foot injury. Having him back should be a big help. He was placed as the second-line center alongside Colin Blackwell and Joey Anderson at practice on Feb. 5, but on Feb. 6, he was the third-line forward with Lukas Reichel and MacKenzie Entwistle.

I don’t mind him staying there. The Blackhawks are still trying to get Lukas Reichel going, and Johnson is one that seemingly plays well with everyone. I thought that line looked fine, although I would love to see Lukas Reichel back with Philipp Kurashev on the first line. The offense can’t get worse.