Blackhawks News
Blackhawks Get Bedard Back From Shoulder Injury, Playing vs. Capitals
He’s back. Connor Bedard is set to rejoin the Chicago Blackhawks lineup on Friday night against the Washington Capitals at the United Center.
Bedard has been out since Dec. 12 due to a shoulder injury and has missed the last 12 games. ESPN insider Kevin Weekes reported that Bedard suffered a separated shoulder, which occurred with under one second remaining in the game against the St. Louis Blues. Neither Bedard nor the Blackhawks ever divulged the specifics of the injury.
During Chicago’s lone practice this week on Tuesday, Bedard partially participated for the first time since he got injured just under a month ago. He took part in a few drills and exited the ice halfway through the session. Then, Bedard was on the ice for the team’s morning skate on Wednesday, but still wasn’t quite ready enough to return to game action.
After taking part in another morning skate on Friday, Bedard is now fully ready to go and return to the Blackhawks. That comes at perhaps the perfect time, with the team in the midst of a four-game winning streak and having earned a point in five consecutive outings. The Hawks currently sit just three points back of the final wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference, and they now have their top player back to lead a second-half charge for the postseason.
The Blackhawks didn’t go through line rushes during Friday’s morning skate, as several players and head coach Jeff Blashill were absent. The flu bug has apparently found its way into the locker room and affected several players and staff members. Bedard is expected to return to the top-line center position against the Capitals, but it’s unknown who will be his running mates.
Before getting hurt, Bedard was frequently playing with rookie Ryan Greene and Andre Burakovsky as his wings. Those are the two most likely candidates to play with the 2023 No. 1 overall pick in his return against Washington. However, it’s worth mentioning that Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi have also flashed strong chemistry with one another this season. There’s a chance that Blashill loads up his top line with Bedard, Burakovsky, and Bertuzzi as the team looks for its fifth straight victory.
Regardless of who he’ll play with, it’s terrific to have Bedard back within a month of when he initially went down. Notably, the Blackhawks managed to go 5-6-1 in his absence and remained in the playoff mix.
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