The Chicago Blackhawks will still be without Marian Hossa for their upcoming road games in Detroit and Boston, but according to head coach Joel Quenneville, there is some good news on the horizon.
According to the coach, Hossa is “close” to returning to the lineup, and there is a real possibility that he could be activated from the injured reserve list and brought back into the fold for the Hawks’ Sunday showdown against the Red Wings at the United Center.
Hossa has missed the Blackhawks’ last five games after being placed on I.R. in mid-February. He suffered a lower body injury after a collision in the Hawks’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 13, and although the team’s light schedule has allowed him to heal up without missing a lot of games, the team could still use him back in the fold to help balance things out.
When Hossa does return, Andrew Shaw will likely drop down from the top line, where he has been playing right wing after the team’s acquisition of Andrew Ladd at the NHL trade deadline. Shaw will most likely end up on the fourth line, but could also play on the third line as a winger for Teuvo Teravainen and Tomas Fleischmann.
