Blackhawks Send Nick Lardis To IceHogs To Make Room For Connor Bedard

On Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks made it official that Connor Bedard is returning. He will be in the lineup when they take the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the United Center on Tuesday night. 

Bedard missed all of training camp, the preseason, and the first 6 regular-season games as he worked his way back from shoulder surgery. A lot of work was put in for him to return this quickly, as the July diagnosis had him coming back in mid-November. 

To make room for Bedard on the roster, they had to send someone down to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. Instead of putting someone on waivers and taking that type of chance, they sent Nick Lardis down.

Lardis was outstanding in camp and in the preseason, but it has been a tough six games for him. Playing a handful of games for the IceHogs could be good for him, if that's the route that they go. He already has experience scoring lots of goals down there, and it helped him have a strong showing when he was called up to the NHL last year. 

When Frank Nazar returns from suspension, there will be even less room in the forward room, but they likely won't keep Dominic Toninato up long beyond that. They chose him over Lardis because Toninato can play center with Nazar out. 

There is the possibility of more injuries to follow for others, and Lardis is at the top of the call-up list once again. If Lardis shows he is ready for a call-up before it becomes a necessity, the Blackhawks have proven that they won't hesitate, either. 

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