Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard set to miss another six weeks with fractured jaw
Chicago Blackhawks rookie middle Connor Bedard will miss not less than one other six weeks of motion as a result of a fractured jaw sustained earlier this month.
Bedard, who was chosen with the primary total choose within the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, is extensively thought-about to be one of many best prospects of his technology.
The 18-year-old suffered the jaw harm when he was checked by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith within the first interval of Chicago’s 4-2 defeat on the highway on January 5.
He left the ice along with his palms on his mouth and returned to mild on January 16 final week, the place he was pictured skating and doing a little mild taking pictures whereas carrying a full face protect.
An in depth-up of Connor Bedard and his face protect, working with Samuel Savoie after Blackhawks observe. pic.twitter.com/nrPARHhIzD
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) January 21, 2024
Coach Luke Richardson didn’t appear overly optimistic concerning Bedard’s possibilities of a close to return, telling reporters the choice on his availability down the road is within the palms of group medical doctors.
“It was 6-8 weeks in the beginning was what was mentioned so like I don’t know; you’re by no means going to know, however discuss to me in a month,” he mentioned. “He’s not going to be the again by then. There’s no change; it’s the identical so I don’t know, six weeks from the beginning or from now, it’s nonetheless in between the timeline.
“He [isn’t] coming again subsequent week, which might be nice, but it surely’s not about him eager to or not. It’s simply concerning the medical facet of issues and the medical doctors will tell us when he’s prepared to come back again.”
In accordance with NHL sportsbooks, Bedard is the odds-on favourite at a value of -170 to win the Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the 12 months).
The teen leads the Blackhawks in factors (33), targets (15) and assists (18) this 12 months – making a powerful influence like he was projected to do within the NHL.