The Chicago Blackhawks will be without Marian Hossa for at least one week after the team put him on injured reserve on Sunday, but head coach Joel Quenneville gave a more definitive timeline when asked about his ailing star on Monday.
Quenneville talked to the media during the team’s morning skate ahead of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, saying that the team is looking at a timeline of “hopefully {just} two weeks” before Hossa is able to return from his lower body injury.
If the two week timeline is accurate, then Hossa won’t miss many games. The Blackhawks’ schedule is remarkably light over the next two weeks, with an outdoor game against the Minnesota Wild helping to space out their slate of games. Over the next two weeks, the Blackhawks play only five games, with a couple of significant breaks in between.
That time off will certainly help the Hawks, who have had one of the busier schedules in the league this season, but it will also enable them to get Hossa healthy before the stretch run. The NHL’s trade deadline is looming at the end of the month, and knowing that Hossa is going to be back sooner rather than later could help the Blackhawks decide what moves, if any, they are going to pull off to help bolster their roster.
In the meantime, the attention shifts to which player will replace Hossa on the top line. According to Quenneville, Richard Panik will get the first crack at the top line, with Teuvo Teravainen also likely getting a look before all is said and done.
The newly configured top line will get its first test on Monday when the Blackhawks welcome the Maple Leafs to the United Center. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m.
