Bedard returns to the ice, Nazar update & Lardis gets an ideal linemate

The Chicago Blackhawks were back on the practice ice today. Practicing during a stretch of three games in four days is nearly unheard of these days. But since the team had three days off the ice for the holiday break, head coach Jeff Blashill wanted to refocus his squad before hosting the New York Islanders tomorrow night.

Look Who’s Back

Before practice began, a familiar face was on the ice. Connor Bedard had his skates laced up for the first time since injuring his shoulder against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 12. He did not take any shots and left the ice when practice officially began.

Blashill said Bedard would be reevaluated after the new year following the injury, but to see him on the ice in just over two weeks is a positive sign. It’s clear he’s not close to returning to game action, but today is a positive sign that he’ll be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

Today, the update didn’t change much. Blashill said Bedard’s timeline is the same, and they’ll have a more specific idea in the near future.

“Connor wants to be back tomorrow,” he said. “I think it’s more of a matter of us holding him back until the right time. He’ll keep pushing. It’s a good sign, but the timeline is probably going to be the timeline.”

Blashill added that Frank Nazar can eat solid foods again after taking a puck to the face in Ottawa last weekend. While the team hasn’t confirmed it, it’s believed that he suffered a broken jaw.

New Line Combos

In addition to Bedard getting back on the ice, Ilya Mikheyev returned to the team after missing the last two games to be with his wife for the birth of their daughter. Blashill used the practice time to try out some new line combinations. Here’s how they took rushes:

Tyler Bertuzzi-Ryan Greene-Andre Burakovsky
Teuvo Teravainen-Oliver Moore-Nick Lardis
Ryan Donato-Jason Dickinson-Ilya Mikheyev
Nick Foligno-Colton Dach-Landon Slaggert

The defensive pairs remained unchanged. Dominic Toninato, Sam Lafferty, and Ethan Del Mastro were the extras. I wouldn’t be surprised if Toninato is sent back down to Rockford before the weekend. Del Mastro probably won’t be far behind. He should be playing in Rockford, not watching from the press box in Chicago.

As I wrote last week, putting Teravainen and Lardis on the same line makes all the sense in the world. Teravainen is the best facilitator on the team right now, and Lardis is the best shooter. One loves to pass, the other loves to shoot. That’s a natural fit, and I'm excited to see how they gel together.

“Turbo is a really smart player,” Blashill said. “He does a good job of getting pucks to guys in good areas. Hopefully, he can help Ollie and Lardis sort through different stuff. He’ll also help them out defensively.”