It seems like it has been forever since Connor Bedard skated in a Chicago Blackhawks game, but the long-anticipated return to the ice is coming nearer. Head coach Luke Richardson said Monday (Feb. 12) that the team expects the 18-year-old phenom to return to action the week of Feb 19. Richardson said Bedard will remain in a non-contact jersey this week, but the hope is that he will be cleared for contact next week. His return to game action shouldn’t be too long after that.
Richardson joked it would be difficult for Bedard to get to North Carolina from his doctor’s appointment in Chicago within a matter of hours next Monday, Feb. 19, when the Hawks visit the Hurricanes. That day will mark six weeks exactly since his jaw surgery, after which he was given a six-to-eight-week estimated recovery timeline. Bedard is expected to have what the team hopes is his final doctor’s appointment either at the end of this week or early next week. The imaging scan is the final hurdle, considering he has been skating and ramping things up for weeks.
The Blackhawks have home games on Feb. 21 vs. Philadelphia and Feb. 23 vs. Winnipeg. The 21st or 23rd appear to be the most likely options, but the Hawks also host the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 23. This will be Patrick Kane’s return to Chicago and also the retirement ceremony for Chris Chelios’ jersey number. Richardson stated that these are the three likely dates for his return.
Blackhawks’ Offense Sputters Without Bedard
The Hawks should benefit enormously from Bedard’s return. They have been better defensively but can do little offensively during his absence. They’ve scored only 20 goals in the 14 games he has missed, going 3-10-1. The team has no other forwards with his high-end finishing ability, which has been made even more evident by how many scoring chances they’ve squandered in recent weeks.
The Hawks’ win-loss record the rest of this season won’t mean much, except for the fact that losing enough to finish last in the NHL standings and guarantee a top-three draft pick. However, having him return to a team that is going nowhere this season means more to Bedard’s development long-term. The faster he returns, the more development and experience he’ll get before the season ends.