Blackhawks injuries already piling: three key players placed in injury reserve

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Joshua Deeds
October 5, 2024 (2:09 PM)

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According to NHL Insider Mario Tirabassi, the Blackhawks will be starting the 2024-2025 season shorthanded.

As they have placed three players on injured reserve, of which two are still prospects who should be developing in the AHL.

Tirabassi reported that newly acquired Laurent Brossoit, former Stanley Cup winner, and former Winnipeg Jets goalie has been placed on IR before the beginning of the season.

This doesn't help the Blackhawks, as they have had goaltending woes with Petr Mrazek to start the season. Brossoit will begin the season on the non-roster list, due to multiple injuries suffered( knee and foot), which will keep him out of training camp and the start of the regular season.

The 31-year-old will serve as a far more formidable backup to Petr Mrázek this year after logging a sparkling .927 SV% over the past two years in limited usage with the Golden Knights and Jets. That's a massive step up on the level of play provided by 25-year-old Arvid Söderblom last year, who posted a .879 SV% and 3.92 GAA in 32 appearances behind Mrázek en route to carrying one of the worst stat lines in the NHL.

According to Luke Richardson, Brossoit could be back by the season-opening-road trip.

Artyom Levshunov has fared no different, as it was to be expected he'd start the season in the AHL, with the Rockford IceHogs, but he too is on the non-roster list, with a foot injury.

Levshunov, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, will be out another four weeks after getting injured when he blocked a shot off his right foot while training in Florida on Sept. 11. "If everything goes well with his next (doctor) visit, in the next seven days, he can start skating at least.

Wyatt Kaiser is another one of the three who has been placed on the injured reserve, as he was taken out of the lineup after a medical examination. His placement has been retroactive back to September 19th and won't be available during the team's opener against the Utah HC on October 8th.

It seems likely that Kaiser will return to action before Levshunov or Brossoit. For the fate of the 2024 1st round pick by the Hawks, GM Kyle Davidson said that the defenseman is still a month away from returning after taking a puck to the foot during training camp.

The Blackhawks will sorely miss Brossoit on ice, as it seems they won't have quality goaltending for the time being. If the preseason is any indicator, it could be a weakness this season.

Mrazek isn't showing promising signs early, and all the while the defensive collapse has shown as well, with the last two games against the Wild being extremely disappointing.

Source: NHL
Levshunov out 4 more weeks for Blackhawks with foot injury