Chicago Blackhawks to be without Anisimov for 3-4 weeks
So much for Chicago Blackhawks fans being able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Less than 24 hours after coach Joel Quenneville told reporters that Artem Anisimov's leg injury didn't appear serious, the Hawks reversed course Wednesday and revealed that their second-line center actually will miss 3-4 weeks.
Anisimov was hurt in the first period of the Hawks' 4-2 victory Tuesday at Montreal when he fell awkwardly against the boards after a hit by Alexander Radulov. He was unable to put any weight on his left leg and was wearing a walking boot after the game.
If this time frame proves accurate, it means Anisimov could return for the Hawks' final three-game road trip to Colorado, Anaheim and Los Angeles. It also could keep him out until the playoffs.
Anisimov's injury will have a serious domino effect on the Hawks' forward lines. Nick Schmaltz will now center Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin on the second line, while it appears Richard Panik and Jonathan Toews will be joined by the newly signed John Hayden on Thursday at Ottawa. If that doesn't pan out, though, don't be surprised to see Quenneville move Marian Hossa back up to the top line, thus seriously depleting the talent in the bottom six.
"We'll look for (Schmaltz) to play in that spot and hopefully he can take advantage of a good situation," Quenneville told reporters.
Schmaltz has played with Kane and Panarin twice in the past two weeks due to injuries to Anisimov, and he proved more than capable. Against Pittsburgh on March 1, Schmaltz twice set up Kane with gorgeous, pinpoint passes. And Tuesday in Montreal, Panarin scored early in the third period after Schmaltz saw the Russian superstar streaking down the ice all by himself.
"It's pretty easy when you're playing with two guys that kind of think the same game, and always know where each other are on the ice," Schmaltz told the Chicago Sun-Times.
One flaw in Schmaltz's game right now, though, is in the faceoff dot. The rookie won just 2 of 14 draws Tuesday, and he's just 5 for his last 28 (18 percent).
"I need to be better defensively and on the draw," Schmaltz told the Sun-Times. "I struggled on the draw (Tuesday). It was tough just getting thrown in there. But I'm working to get better, and it's always exciting to play with those two guys."
The Hawks are 2-1-2 without Anisimov this season. The center is 1 goal away from breaking his career high of 22.
Thirteen of Schmaltz's 20 points this season have come in the last 13 games.
• The Blackhawks came to terms with defenseman Luc Snuggerud on a three-year contract that runs through the 2019-20 campaign. Snuggerud, who will report to Rockford, was taken by the Hawks in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Snuggerud recently finished his junior season at the University of Nebraska Omaha and scored a career-high 11 goals in 39 games.
• Follow John on Twitter for breaking Blackhawks news @johndietzdh.
NHL's leading scorers
(Through Tuesday's games)
1. Patrick Kane, Hawks 76
2. Connor McDavid, Edm. 76
3. Brad Marchand, Bos. 74
4. Sidney Crosby, Pitt. 74
5. Evegni Malkin, Pitt. 72
6. N. Backstrom, Wash. 71
7. Brent Burns, San Jose 70
8. Nikita Kucherov, TB 69
9. Mark Scheifele, Winn. 69
10. Tyler Seguin, Dallas 67
Kane's season breakdown
G-A-Pts.
First 23 games 8-15-23
Next 23 games 6-18-24
Last 23 games 17-12-29
Totals 31-45-76