For the first time since their Olympic break began on Feb. 4, the Chicago Blackhawks were back on the ice for an optional practice on Tuesday morning. Teuvo Teravainen, Chicago’s lone NHL Olympic participant, was among the few absences, along with Tyler Bertuzzi, Ilya Mikheyev, and Spencer Knight.
Also not on the ice for the Blackhawks was 23-year-old defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, who suffered a lower-body injury in the final game before the break against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Head coach Jeff Blashill didn’t get into specifics or offer an exact timeline for Kaiser’s injury, but he did mention he will not be available coming out of the break.
As a reminder, the Blackhawks return to action on Saturday, Feb. 26, against the Nashville Predators. Kaiser won’t be ready by then, but Blashill did optimistically say he expects him to play again this season. He hopes that Kaiser won’t miss the entire month of March.
Kaiser’s absence will certainly be felt on the blue line, as he’s been a fixture of the Blackhawks’ second defensive pairing this season. He leads all defensemen on the team with five goals and is third with 19:10 of time on ice per game. The 2020 third-round pick has also been a force on the penalty kill, which ranks first in the league at the Olympic break.
Additionally, Kaiser has spent the most time of anyone alongside rookie Artyom Levshunov, who’s struggled mightily since the start of the New Year. Not only will it be a challenge for the Blackhawks to replace Kaiser’s jack-of-all-trades makeup, but they will also have to find a new partner for Levshunov whenever he returns to the lineup. He was a healthy scratch for the final three games before the break.
With Kaiser likely to miss multiple weeks, the Blackhawks are currently left with Alex Vlasic and Matt Grzelcyk as the only other left-handed defensemen on the roster. One of Kevin Korchinski or Ethan Del Mastro, both currently playing with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL, will surely get recalled in the coming days. It will be fascinating to see which one GM Kyle Davidson chooses. Between the two, Del Mastro is the better defender and has the larger frame, which could give him the edge.
One also has to wonder if Kaiser’s injury could impact the Blackhawks decision on Grzelcyk ahead of the trade deadline. Grzelcyk, 32, entered training camp on a PTO and impressed enough to earn a one-year, $1 million deal. He’s one of four players to have suited up in all 57 games so far this season and has been serviceable on the third pairing with Connor Murphy.
With Grzelcyk on a cheap, expiring contract, there could be some interest from teams with little financial wiggle room. However, with Murphy also expected to be traded, and considering the latest news on Kaiser, moving Grzelcyk would leave Chicago with a vastly inexperienced backend. That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, as all the young defensemen would get an opportunity together, and losing games only increases the chances of a high-end draft selection in 2026. But that would make Alex Vlasic, 24, the oldest member of the D-core for the home stretch.
Bedard Back at the Dot
In more positive news from the Blackhawks’ optional practice, star forward Connor Bedard has started to take faceoffs again. Bedard injured his right shoulder while taking a faceoff in the final second against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 12, which forced him to miss one month. After returning to the lineup on Jan. 9, he was kept out of the faceoff circle for each of his 14 appearances before the break to prevent any risk of reinjury.
“The plan always was, in his mind, to start taking faceoffs coming out of this break,” Blashill said. “I expect to see him play more of a true center role where he’s taking faceoffs.”
Bedard showed significant growth at the dot before getting hurt, having won 47.0 percent of his draws so far this season. He failed to reach the 40-percent plateau in both his rookie and sophomore years, creating some concerns about whether he could play center at the NHL level.
But so far as a junior, Bedard has resiliently answered those questions. Not only has he improved his faceoff percentage, but he’s become more of a complete, two-way player. While there are still improvements he can make defensively, he’s already much better compared to his first two seasons.
With veteran and defensive standout Jason Dickinson likely to be traded at the deadline, it’s also important for the Blackhawks to have Bedard back taking faceoffs again. Without him, they would be left with Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and captain Nick Foligno, who also could still be moved, as the centers on the roster.
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