After a week-plus break during NHL All-Star festivities, the Chicago Blackhawks returned to the ice for practice on Monday. Through on-ice sessions and head coach Luke Richardson's comments, several injury updates came to light. Here's the latest on Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Beauvillier, Connor Bedard, Jason Dickinson, and Tyler Johnson.
Andreas Athanasiou
Athanasiou has been sidelined for nearly three months due to a groin injury. Richardson revealed on Jan. 15 that Athanasiou underwent surgery "a little while back" but didn't provide a return timeline.
Now, a return to the ice appears imminent as Richardson said Monday that Athanasiou is expected to resume skating "soon."
Beauvillier appeared in 15 games for the Blackhawks before going on the shelf with a left wrist injury on Jan. 3.
The 26-year-old returned to the ice in a limited capacity on Monday. While participating in a non-contact side skating session with other injured Blackhawks, Beauvillier wore a brace on his left wrist that prevented him from shooting pucks.
There's no official timeline for Beauvillier's return to game action, but resuming skating is a step in the right direction.
Connor Bedard
Bedard, who's recovering from a fractured jaw, continued skating in a non-contact capacity on Monday. After previously having limitations to avoid clenching his jaw, the 18-year-old appeared to be taking full slap shots, representing progress in his recovery. Richardson added that Bedard may mix into non-contact portions of the team's practice on Tuesday.
Given the team's initially provided timeline, Bedard is now 2-4 weeks away from returning. However, his recovery is dependent on his bones healing properly.
"The timeline for bones to heal is still not good enough for a game," Richardson said. "It doesn't matter if you wear a bubble or not; the bubble can actually hit and it could probably do more damage in more situations than without it. He'll have to get clearance from the doctors for when he can start exerting hard.
"But he's starting to ramp up his conditioning, so that means he's probably able to work harder and clench a little bit more, but I don't know if he's eating handfuls of nuts or stuff like that yet."
Jason Dickinson
Dickinson, one of the biggest bright spots on a lackluster Blackhawks team, missed Monday's practice.
It shouldn't be a cause for concern, however, as Richardson said the veteran forward took a maintenance day. Dickinson is expected to join the Blackhawks for Tuesday's practice.
After sitting out a month with a right foot injury, Johnson was a full participant in Monday's practice. Richardson expects Johnson to suit up on Wednesday when the Blackhawks host the Minnesota Wild.
Before injuring his foot, Johnson had 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 35 games. His return to action can only help a Blackhawks' offense that went ice-cold before the All-Star break.
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