Blackhawks News
Connor Bedard Shares Update On Injury, Insider Provides Details
Chicago Blackhawks young forwards Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar made guest appearances together on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, which dropped on Tuesday morning.
Despite getting placed on injured reserve, Bedard decided to support his teammates and traveled with the Blackhawks for their three-game road trip in Canada. After the team arrived in Toronto on Monday, Bedard and Nazar joined the podcast from their hotel room.
Naturally, Bedard was first asked about the current injury that he’s dealing with. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick got hurt in a freak accident with 0.8 seconds remaining in Friday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. While Bedard was battling with Blues’ captain Brayden Schenn at the faceoff circle, his right arm appeared to twist awkwardly, leaving him in serious pain as he skated off the ice. Bedard has been ruled out for the remainder of December by the Blackhawks and will be re-evaluated after the New Year.
Like head coach Jeff Blashill after Monday’s practice, Bedard didn’t specifically mention what the injury is, but he did confirm it’s a shoulder issue. He also seemed to be in relatively good spirits about the injury.
“I guess it probably hasn’t come out yet, so I’ll keep it vague,” Bedard said. “It’s just a shoulder thing, but it’s feeling pretty good. So, I’ll just start the rehab process and hopefully be back as soon as possible.”
Bedard and Blashill wouldn’t spill the tea, but an NHL insider provided some context to the injury just a few hours after the interview was released. According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the injury that Bedard sustained against the Blues is a separated shoulder.
Just like Monday’s prognosis, this should be looked at positively by the Blackhawks. Bedard has avoided suffering any broken bones or major muscle tears, and he doesn’t need to undergo surgery. There were also concerns that he dislocated his shoulder, which also isn’t the case. Typically, a dislocated shoulder is a more serious injury than a separated shoulder. A dislocation often involves more pain and total loss of movement.
The treatment required for a separated shoulder is only rehab, rest, and constant icing to reduce swelling and inflammation. There’s no official timeline for Bedard to return, but it makes sense that he’ll be re-evaluated in roughly two weeks, given the standard recovery time for the injury.
While any injury sustained is unfortunate, Bedard and the Blackhawks are likely coming out of this situation feeling rather blessed. As Blashill said on Monday, this certainly could have been worse. Knowing now that Bedard is dealing with only a separated shoulder feels close a best-case scenario, based on how Bedard reacted immediately after the injury occurred.
Throughout the rest of the interview, Bedard and Nazar discuss the changed mood in the Blackhawks’ locker room, being roommates during road trips, a few funny stories, and more. Oh, and Oliver Moore catches plenty of flak for apparently being a goofball. It’s a great listen, Blackhawks fans.
Bedard and Nazar join the podcast around the 10-minute mark of the episode.
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