For the first time in over two weeks, the Chicago Blackhawks were back on the ice at Fifth Third Arena for practice on Tuesday. After a long and successful six-game road trip, the Blackhawks finally return to the United Center on Wednesday night for a matchup with the New Jersey Devils. As a reminder, the nationally-televised game on TNT doesn’t start until 8:30 p.m. CT, which is absolute nonsense.
During Tuesday’s practice, neither Frank Nazar nor Jason Dickinson participated in the session, and both forwards are unlikely to play in the Blackhawks’ late-night tilt against the Devils.
Dickinson, who’s been banged up a few times already through the Blackhawks’ opening 16 games, is currently on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The veteran center missed each of the team’s final five games during the road trip, and he’s expected to be out of the lineup again on Wednesday. Dickinson did skate on his own before the rest of the team hit the ice for practice, which is at least a positive sign that he’s trending in the right direction.
As for Nazar, it’s a little surprising that he’s slotted to miss a second consecutive game. The 21-year-old took part in pregame warmups in his hometown of Detroit on Sunday before being listed as a scratch roughly 15 minutes before the contest started. He was originally designated as a game-time decision, so the thought was that he’d be able to return after a few days off on Wednesday. That doesn’t appear to be the case.
Nazar is dealing with a lower-body injury, which he suffered last Friday in the first period against the Calgary Flames. It’s still believed to be a minor issue, but the expectation is that he’ll be out again on Wednesday. There’s also a chance that Nazar isn’t back for the following game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I would say he’s still day to day,” head coach Jeff Blashill said after Tuesday’s practice. “I don’t anticipate him [to play] tomorrow, and Saturday, I’m not sure.”
Without Nazar and Dickinson, the Blackhawks are left with only 11 healthy forwards on their active roster. Fortunately, Blashill has utilized an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup in all but two games so far this season, so that’s all he needs to fill out his lineup card on Wednesday.
However, Nazar and Dickinson are two of the four regular center icemen that Blashill rolls with, so their continued absence leaves him in a bit of a pickle. The Blackhawks used wingers Nick Foligno & Ryan Donato as their two centers behind Connor Bedard and Ryan Greene in Detroit, while Tyler Bertuzzi also chipped in and took five faceoffs.
The forward line rushes at practice was somewhat confusing, but it appears Blashill is going the same route against New Jersey. An all-hands-on-deck situation is developing at center for the Blackhawks without Nazar and Dickinson.
With no Dickinson or Nazar, forward groups:
Bertuzzi-Bedard-Burakovsky
Mikheyev-Greene-Teräväinen
Moore-Donato-Lafferty-Dach-Foligno rotating together
— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) November 11, 2025
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