The Chicago Blackhawks have been dealing with issues on their blue line throughout the postseason, but they finally got some good news on Friday as the team recalled defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk from the Rockford IceHogs.
Van Riemsdyk, who was out with a broken kneecap he suffered playing for the Blackhawks in November, suffered a second setback in March when he injured his wrist on a rehab assignment. That injury required surgery, and he was originally given an eight week timetable to return. It’s been around six weeks since the surgery, but he was out on the ice skating with the team during an optional workout on Friday.
The defenseman was having a solid rookie season before the two injuries robbed him of more playing time, picking up an assist in 18 games with the Blackhawks earlier in the year. He mostly played third defensive pairing minutes, occasionally subbing in alongside Niklas Hjalmarsson as well.
While head coach Joel Quenneville said that van Riemsdyk will not be available to the Hawks in Game 4 Saturday night, he didn’t rule him out for the remainder of the series. Even still, it seems highly unlikely that the Blackhawks would insert him back into the lineup at this stage, but if they sustain another injury on their blue line, they may feel as though they have no other course of action.
