Chicago’s NHL group positioned rookie centre Connor Bedard on injured reserve Saturday with a damaged jaw.
Bedard acquired damage when he was levelled by New Jersey defenceman Brendan Smith halfway via the primary interval of Friday evening’s 4-2 loss to the Devils.
Nick Foligno additionally went on IR with a damaged left finger, including one other identify to Chicago’s lengthy checklist of injured forwards. In determined want of reinforcements, the membership added a pair of forwards by buying Rem Pitlick in a commerce with Pittsburgh and claiming Zach Sanford off waivers from Arizona.
“We’re undecided how lengthy [Bedard] and Nick might be,” head coach Luke Richardson stated. “It is simply so contemporary as we speak, this morning, to get our folks to take a look at them and make choices going ahead.”
The 18-year-old Bedard has been Chicago’s finest participant in his first NHL season, dwelling as much as the hype after he was chosen with the No. 1 total decide in final 12 months’s draft. Heading into Saturday’s motion, he was main all NHL rookies with a team-high 15 targets and 18 assists in 39 video games.
Whereas there was no phrase on a timeline for Bedard’s return, the damage takes him out of the group’s upcoming recreation in his hometown of Vancouver on Jan. 22. It additionally means he probably will miss the Feb. 3 NHL All-Star Sport in Toronto, dealing a blow to the league.
“It is undoubtedly arduous to form of wrap our heads round,” teammate Ryan Donato stated. “It is so contemporary nonetheless for us, to appreciate what is going on on. However we hope the very best for him and hopefully we are able to hold him constructive and hold the blokes constructive.”
Bedard was hit after he carried the puck into the offensive zone. Smith was not penalized on the play, however there was a collection of skirmishes between the groups after Bedard departed.
Connor Bedard went to the locker room following this hit from Brendan Smith. <a href=”https://t.co/OUZyKCBCRx”>pic.twitter.com/OUZyKCBCRx</a>
—@Sportsnet
Foligno, who has served as one in all Bedard’s mentors within the veteran’s first season in Chicago, left the sport after he fought with Smith within the second.
“I do not know what number of fights he is been on this 12 months, however after all it is this one which he goes and will get damage,” Dickinson stated. “He is powerful, so I do not assume it’s going to maintain him out very lengthy. As quickly as he is sturdy sufficient to carry a stick I am certain he’ll be on the market with us.”
Chicago has dropped 5 in a row, seven of eight and is 6-19-2 in its 27 video games underneath Richardson, in his second season behind the group’s bench.
Chicago ahead Boris Katchouk advised reporters he felt it was a grimy hit however Richardson wasn’t satisfied.
“I did not actually see it too many occasions but,” the coach stated. “I simply noticed it fast on the bench. I do not know if it was soiled. I believe Connor was reaching for a puck and did not see him as a result of he was behind one in all their gamers. I do not assume he stepped up on him. I believe he simply form of stopped and Connor form of ran head-first into him.
“He clearly banged his head. We’ll get him checked out at house by our specialists to see if every thing is OK.”
<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Devils?src=hash&ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>#Devils</a> Smith, Massive Dman had elbows down, no head decide, doesn’t depart his ft, textbook open ice hit. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Blackhawks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>#Blackhawks</a> Bedard, excessive worth participant, influence and end result very unlucky. <br>It’s a clear hit. Interval. Finish of Story. Doesn’t change that it’s an UNFORTUNATE RESULT, however 100%… <a href=”https://t.co/nllhve5674″>pic.twitter.com/nllhve5674</a>
—@NHL_AaronWard
‘That was only a stable hit’
Devils bench boss Lindy Ruff felt Smith’s hit on Bedard was clear.
“It is unlucky the place he acquired him” Ruff stated. “At completely different occasions, all younger gamers be taught. … I realized the arduous manner, I acquired knocked out chilly.
“You have to remember. There was no intent or something. That was only a stable hit.”
Luke Richardson broke his jaw (took a slap shot to the face, “broke it proper in half,” ) and had it wired shut as a participant. He stated he was out 5 1/2 weeks. Mentioned it was a “fairly extreme” one. Metallic plates, 15 screws, and many others.
—@MarkLazerus
After the all-star ahead departed, there was a collection of skirmishes between the groups.
Chicago defenceman Jarred Tinordi had phrases with Smith because the groups had been skating off the ice after the primary.
Blue-liner Alex Vlasic additionally fought with Devils ahead Nathan Bastian as a part of a normal on-ice fracas with many of the crowd at Prudential Heart to its ft.
At one level, there have been 4 Chicago and three Devils of their respective penalty bins.
Bedard and Foligno be part of an extended checklist of injured gamers for last-place Chicago.
Fellow forwards Anthony Beauvillier (left wrist), Tyler Johnson (proper foot), Taylor Raddysh (left groin pressure), Joey Anderson (left shoulder) and Andreas Athanasiou (groin) are additionally out. Taylor Corridor will miss the remainder of the season after he had proper knee surgical procedure in November.
Seth Jones, the group’s finest rearguard, is on IR with a shoulder damage. He hasn’t performed since Dec. 10.
Pitlick, 26, has 21 targets and 54 factors in 123 regular-season video games with the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens. He has eight targets and 24 factors in 32 contests this season with Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the American Hockey League.
Sanford had no targets and two assists in 11 video games with Arizona this season. He has 49 targets and 100 factors in 316 NHL regular-season video games.
With the deal, the Penguins now have 9 picks within the 2026 draft.
Pittsburgh owns all seven of its picks within the draft in addition to Chicago’s conditional seventh-round decide and an extra third-round alternative acquired as a part of the commerce involving defenceman Erik Karlsson with the San Jose Sharks on Aug. 6.