Bad and good news comes from Chicago Blackhawks morning skate following update from head coach Luke Richardson

But there's some good news today: Nikita Zaitsev is back at practice. Unfortunately, Connor Murphy's recovery is taking longer than expected.

Having Zaitsev and Murphy back would help the Blackhawks, but they're still rebuilding and not aiming for immediate success.

The injuries give young players a chance to prove themselves without too much pressure.

This season, we've seen promising performances from young defensemen like Kevin Korchinski and Louis Crevier, who have earned spots in the NHL lineup.

But the team needs to balance developing these prospects with relying on veteran leaders like Murphy and Zaitsev, especially early in their rebuild.