Chicago Blackhawks Could Play Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Nov 14, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Trevor Van Riemsdyk (57) takes a shot in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

When the Chicago Blackhawks recalled Trevor van Riemsdyk on May 22^nd, nobody thought anything of it. TVR had been injured on Nov 16 against the Dallas Stars. He took a shot right off his leg and then limped off the ice. (I was at the game). After that game TVR did not appear in another NHL game. He had appeared in 18 regular season games. During his time with the Blackhawks, TVR seemed to blossomed into a player that Coach Quenneville started to trust. The Blackhawks believed in TVR for those 18 game so much that used David Rundblad sparingly and sent Kyle Cuminsky back to Rockford.

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After the TVR injury, the Blackhawks were changing their third defensive pairing all season long. When TVR was healthy enough to resume skating, he was sent to Rockford on rehab assignment. During his rehab assignment at Rockford, TVR suffered a wrist injury. The wrist injury required surgery but TVR has been working his way back to the Blackhawks. With Michal Rozsival being injured and Kimmo Timonen being worthless, the Blackhawks could use another defenseman.

TVR skated on Monday with the Blackhawks in Chicago and will travel to Tampa. He will reevaluated on Tuesday.  All signs are pointing to TVR playing in this series and possibly Game 1.

The question is should he play?? TVR has been injured twice already this season and is coming off his SECOND major leg injury.  The Lightning are a very fast team and TVR has not appeared in NHL game since Nov 16^th.  He only appeared in eight games for Rockford and did not play in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Last time TVR appeared in a hockey game was MARCH!! The Stanley Cup Final might not be the place to shake off the rust. On the postive side, when TVR did play for the Blackhawks he showed promise. He joined the rush and showed some good “ice awareness”. He probably would have been ths sixth defenseman all year long.

With all of that being said, TVR should not play in the Stanley Cup final, but MOST likely he will play. The logic would be to get him in Game 1 or 2 when the series is not decided yet. TVR will probably replace Kyle Cumisky.EVEN if TVR plays expect his minutes to be very little probably hovering around the Timonen time limit. If he plays and excels then you stay with him for the rest of the series, if he flops then the Blackhawks can return to Cumisky.

The Stanley Cup Final will start on Wednesday June 3^rd at 7:00pm central time.

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