Blackhawks place Patrick Kane on injured reserve

The Chicago Blackhawks have moved Patrick Kane to injured reserve retroactively to Jan. 3 when he last played. That means he can come off whenever deemed healthy enough to return. Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago reports that Kane is feeling better and hopes to play on Saturday.

Today’s transaction was to clear room for MacKenzie Entwistle, who has been activated from the injured reserve and is ready to go. The 23-year-old winger hasn’t played since December while dealing with a wrist injury.

If Kane does return for Saturday’s game, it means another move is coming down the pipe. The Blackhawks remain at the maximum of 23 players on the roster, without a lot of obvious forward options to send down.

Lukas Reichel, who is still waiver-exempt, has been playing great in this latest call-up, scoring three points on Sunday in just his third game of the season. The 20-year-old is one of the team’s top prospects and looks ready to contribute at the NHL level, but might end up on his way back to the AHL in a few days.

For now, Kane will take time to fully heal and continue to make sure that there is no lingering effect. The legendary Blackhawks forward will be the focus of many trade rumors over the next few weeks, as he decides whether he wants to stay in Chicago or chase the Stanley Cup somewhere else.