Chicago Blackhawks Should Rest Crawford For Remainder Of Season

It’s been nearly a month and a half since we’ve seen Corey Crawford in net. Without him, the Chicago Blackhawks have struggled more than ever, hardly finding stability in a season that looks to be doomed. With the season nearing its end, should the Blackhawks just rest him for the remainder of the season?

Corey Crawford was last reported to be traveling with the Chicago Blackhawks to Arizona, where the team will be playing the Coyotes tonight. It’s great seeing Crawford on the road with the boys, seemingly getting healthier. The only problem arising with that is if it’s worth it at all.

The season is dead

The Blackhawks are currently sitting in last place in the Central Division with a 24-23-8 record, where they’ve been for the majority of this current season. They’re 10 points out of a playoff spot and are riding a four-game losing streak, which has dug them an even greater grave.

Imagine Crawford getting healthy and going right back to work for the Blackhawks, whose playoff chances are so slim they can fall through a crack in the floor. It sounds like a dumb idea, and it is.

He’s suffered a few rumored ailments all season long and has remained questionable for quite some time. At this point, the worse the ‘Hawks do, the more beneficial it will be for them down the road at the 2018 NHL Draft.

Don’t risk further injury

Crawford, for a lack of a better term, has been fragile this season. His two injuries have sidelined him from performing possibly one of the greatest seasons he’s had. It’s possibly costed him a Vezina Trophy nomination as well. Before his injuries plagued him, Crawford had a 16-9-2 record, a 2.27 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage with two shutouts.

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This was one of the first seasons where Crawford was getting the respect he deserved, but it all came to a halt when he disappeared from the limelight from his injuries. Perhaps some fans of the NHL forgot he existed at all.

With nearly three-fourths of the season gone, it would be a waste to use Crawford. Yes, there is time for him to come back and play and maybe get back into the scheme of things. But that’s beside the point.

He is a goaltender with an incredible amount of talent, but he’s also suffering from some ailments. I’m sure he wants to get on the ice and back in action more than anybody, but it just isn’t wise from a retrospective standpoint.

If he’s to get injured again and forced to rehab over the summer, that’ll be detrimental to whatever comeback scenario the Blackhawks will have to make up come next year.

Next: Blackhawks Are In Hockey Purgatory

Overall, the ‘Hawks are in one big mess. This is a season that wasn’t meant to be. The team should be focusing on the future if it is going to reinvent itself.

It’s not only best for the team, but for Corey Crawford.