Blackhawks finally gaining some bodies back, and more could be coming soon
Blackhawks finally gaining some bodies back, and more could be coming soon originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
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The Chicago Blackhawks are finally starting to get some bodies back.
Joey Anderson (shoulder) and Taylor Raddysh (groin) participated in the team's morning skate on Tuesday, and both of them are expected to return to the lineup against the Edmonton Oilers.
Anderson, who had been out since Dec. 17, skated on the second line with Colin Blackwell and Jason Dickinson while Raddysh, who had been out since Dec. 29, skated on the first line with Philipp Kurashev and Rem Pitlick.
Speaking of Pitlick, he will be making his team debut after being acquired by Chicago on Saturday. He missed the last game due to travel issues caused by the weather. Pitlick was on the top power-play unit on Tuesday in addition to the first line.
Seth Jones skated with the Blackhawks for morning skate but isn't cleared to play yet. His return is expected to be within the next week or so, which is a positive sign. The Blackhawks want him to get at least one full practice in.
It's a psychological boost for Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson's team that players are being inserted into the lineup and not subtracted for once.
"It's just nice to have bodies at practice so we can have a full practice for a change," Richardson said. "I think there was a lot of excitement in the dressing room and on the ice today. The guys feel like our team's getting healthier.
"Guys were running on some fumes over the last few games, especially up front, so it's really nice to have some bodies back. The guys are all embracing that."
With Anderson and Raddysh back and needing to be activated from injured reserve, plus the impending return of Jones soon, the Blackhawks are sending defenseman Louis Crevier back to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League to open up the roster spots.
"He played really well for his first time up," Richardson said. "We don't want him sitting around, we want him to continue to build on that."
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