Jaw-dropping development: Blackhawks place Connor Bedard, Nick Foligno on injured reserve
An already trying season reached a nauseating level for the Blackhawks on Saturday as the team announced Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno were placed on injured reserve.
Bedard suffered a broken jaw and Foligno a fractured left finger during a 4-2 loss at New Jersey on Friday. They are the eighth and ninth Hawks on IR, with five coming in the last five games.
“Honestly, it was just shock almost and disbelief that we can’t get through a game (and) we can’t get through a whole road trip,” forward Jason Dickinson said after Saturday's practice at Fifth Third Arena. “It’s crazy.”
Coach Luke Richardson could not provide a timeline for Bedard, but it normally takes 4-6 weeks to return from this injury. That means it's unlikely Bedard will play in the All-Star Game on Feb. 3.
Bedard's jaw was broken after Devils defenseman Brendan Smith delivered a crushing open-ice hit while Bedard attempted to race into the offensive zone with the Hawks on the power play. The 18-year-old immediately grabbed his mouth when he hit the ice, skated to the dressing room and did not return.
“It's horrible,” said forward Ryan Donato. “He's a kid that loves being around the rink, being around the game. … It's definitely hard to wrap our heads around.”
Dickinson, who was “dumbfounded” by the news, approached his despondent teammate in the dressing room Friday and offered some words of encouragement.
“I mean, Connor was just really upset,” Dickinson said. “That's pretty much all I talked to him about was just staying positive and being OK with where he's at.”
Bedard leads all rookies with 15 goals and 18 assists while Foligno has 8 goals and 9 assists. Foligno presumably broke his finger while fighting Smith in the second period.
If all goes perfectly, Bedard could return February 7 when the Hawks host Minnesota. That would mean he'd only miss 11 games. No matter how long it takes, though, this should be an experience he can learn from.
“He’s a skilled player, but you come back fine,” Richardson said. “You're obviously worried at the beginning, especially if it’s your first real big injury. But when you get through it, it’s just like anything. It makes you stronger because you realize your body is very resilient.”
Richardson also believes it's more than possible that Bedard will go to Toronto during All-Star Weekend, even if he can't play.
“It’d be a great honor to be there and follow through with what he’s earned,” Richardson said. “I’m sure the league would like that as well.”
If there's any good news that came out of Saturday it's that the injured Seth Jones, Taylor Raddysh and Joey Anderson all skated after practice and should be close to returning.
“As soon as we saw them walk in the room, it was like, 'How you doing? How you feeling? How close do you think you are (and) can you push it a little?'” Dickinson said.
The Hawks, who have lost five straight, also made a trade Saturday, acquiring Rem Pitlick from Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2026. The 32-year-old Pitlick has 8 goals and 16 assists in 32 games in the AHL. He has 123 games of NHL experience, 92 coming with Montreal from 2021-23.
The Hawks host Calgary on Sunday and then Connor McDavid and the red-hot Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
It will be up to Dickinson, Donato, Connor Murphy and other veterans to make sure everyone's ready despite the dire circumstances.
“We've just got to simplify our game and know we've got to win some games maybe 1-0, 2-0,” Donato said. “It definitely hurts losing those guys, but … you've got to have the next man up (mentality) and the biggest obstacle we face is the next game.
“So you can't worry about who's in or out of the lineup. You've just got to be ready to play.”
· The Blackhawks made one other move Saturday, acquiring Zach Sanford off waivers from Arizona. The 6-foot-4, 206-pound forward has 2 assists in 11 games with the Coyotes and also played in 16 AHL games.