After dealing with a handful of injuries over the past few months, the Chicago Blackhawks are starting to get healthy. A trio of players returned from extended absences last week and another is following suit this week. On Thursday, the Blackhawks activated forward Reese Johnson from long-term injured reserve and assigned him to the AHL Rockford IceHogs.
Johnson suffered a broken clavicle in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 11. Interim head coach Derek King initially feared Johnson would miss the rest of the season, but his recovery went well and he returned to the ice for non-contact work over the last month.
Last week, King said the Blackhawks expected Johnson to return to full-contact practice in the near future. Now, the rugged forward will join the IceHogs as he works toward resuming game action.
On the season, Reese Johnson has four points (one goal, three assists) in 18 games with the Blackhawks. Across five games with the IceHogs, he has two points (one goal, one assist).
The 23-year-old will become a restricted free agent at season’s end. Having played in just 23 NHL games over the last two seasons, Johnson will surely look to make a strong return during the last month-plus of the campaign to remind the Blackhawks what he brings to the ice.
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