Veteran Blackhawks goalie Laurent Brossoit is now additional away from returning to motion than he supposedly was in late August.
Brossoit, who has but to play this season after signing a two-year, $6.6 million contract in July, underwent a follow-up arthroscopic surgical procedure on his proper knee Tuesday, the Hawks introduced Friday. He can be re-evaluated in six weeks, which equates to round Jan. 7.
The 31-year-old goalie initially underwent meniscus surgical procedure Aug. 27 and was dominated out for five-to-seven weeks, placing his estimated return within the first half of October. That time-frame got here and went, nevertheless, with out a lot progress, as Brossoit skated individually at Fifth Third Enviornment a number of instances however by no means progressed all the best way to collaborating in a crew apply.
“I’m positive he’s actually pissed off,” coach Luke Richardson informed reporters in Minnesota. “The secret is to take care of it now, and that was the proper choice. We’ll simply must be affected person.”
Even when issues look good in Brossoit’s January re-evaluation, it should in all probability take him a number of weeks to totally ramp up earlier than being prepared for recreation motion, which means he’ll have missed greater than half the season by that time.
Attainable logjam
If this second surgical procedure does show profitable and Brossoit feels prepared by mid-January or so, the Hawks may have a goalie logjam to kind out. Petr Mrazek has been their workhorse this season, however third-stringer-turned-backup Arvid Soderblom has additionally vastly improved, posting a .926 save proportion in six video games.
If Soderblom performs in 4 extra video games — and he undoubtedly may have by January — he’ll require waivers to be despatched to Rockford, and the Hawks can be reluctant to take that threat with a 25-year-old whom they believed is likely to be their goalie of the long run as lately as final 12 months.
Buying and selling one of many three goalies would possibly take advantage of sense at that time, however midseason goalie trades are neither frequent nor straightforward to tug off. Normal supervisor Kyle Davidson, who had his second child this week, might want to start brainstorming doable options to this conundrum quickly.
