The Chicago Blackhawks have placed forward Tyler Johnson on injured reserve (retroactive to Oct. 25) due to a right ankle injury.
Johnson exited Tuesday's game early after getting tangled up with Panthers' forward Aleksander Barkov and crashing hard into the boards. The Blackhawks' veteran struggled to get off the ice and did not return to the game.
"Not good tonight," Blackhawks' head coach Luke Richardson said of Johnson's status after the game. "He'll be missed. Hopefully it won't be too long."
Due to his placement on IR, Tyler Johnson will be out for at least seven days.
It appears Jujhar Khaira will get the first crack at replacing Johnson. During Thursday's morning skate, Khaira moved up from the fourth line to Johnson's second-line spot. Khaira also occupied the net-front role on the Blackhawks' second power play unit.
With Jujhar Khaira in an elevated role, Reese Johnson will likely join the fourth line. He played in the Chicago Blackhawks' second game of the season but has been a healthy scratch for the team's last four contests.
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