Versteeg returns to Hawks' lineup

On his first shift Wednesday night, Kris Versteeg was knocked to the ice by a hit from Vancouver defenseman Ryan Stanton.

The Blackhawks' winger almost expected it.

"There's definitely nerves again to come back," Versteeg said after missing 16 games with a fractured left hand.

"It's not like I missed a game or two. You're out for six weeks; that's a pretty extended period of time. It's about getting back up to pace."

Before injuring his hand in the Jan. 1 Winter Classic against the Capitals, Versteeg was on pace for one of his best seasons with 9 goals and 27 points in 34 games.

"I know he's been skating and skating well," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "It looks like he hasn't missed a beat when I watch him in practices. But I think everybody's got a different injury.

"When you come back from certain injuries I think sometimes you need a little bit more time. This one, we'd expect him to be up to speed right away."

Even with Versteeg at less than full speed following the long layoff, the Blackhawks are happy to have him back in good health.

"Yeah, it's going to be a great addition," Patrick Kane of the third-line forward. "It was kind of unfortunate when he got hurt because he was having such a great season. It was sad to see a guy like that go down for a little bit, so hopefully he can regain his form and just give us a little spark.

"I mean, I don't think he has to come in right away and try to do too much. He's going to be a productive player for us. He's going to be a guy that's going to produce.

"Anytime you get a guy like that back in the lineup, that's a good thing for your team."

Take a seat:

With Kris Versteeg back Wednesday, rookie Teuvo Teravainen was a healthy scratch against Vancouver.

As for the future, Teravainen is an obvious offensive talent capable of helping the Hawks.

"Things change quickly in our business," coach Joel Quenneville said. "You never know. We'll just look at it tonight and see what happens. I know we can see how things evolve here. We want him playing, so we'll see."

Teravainen is just happy to still be on the Blackhawks' roster instead of being sent back to Rockford.

"I think I've had good games recently, and I'm just happy to be here and working hard every day," said Teravainen, who has 2 goals and 2 assists in 15 games. "We'll just see how it goes."

Roster move:

To clear a roster spot for Kris Versteeg, the Hawks reassigned Joakim Nordstrom to Rockford.

A 22-year-old forward, Nordstrom had 2 assists in 24 games.