Chicago's massive minutes-eater out with upper-body injury. Blackhawks will face surging Oilers with inexperienced, depleted defense corps.
Chicago Blackhawks top defenseman Seth Jones is sidelined with an upper-body injury and didn't travel with the team on its trip to Edmonton and Seattle.
The Blackhawks didn't practice on Monday and reporters learned of Jones' condition following the team's game-day skate in Edmonton on Tuesday. The Oilers host Chicago in the first matchup of 2015 No. 1 NHL Draft pick Connor McDavid, the league's five-time scoring champion, and Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard, the top selection in 2023.
"He stayed back (in Chicago)," coach Luke Richardson said. "He just got jammed up late in the third period. He's going to get further evaluation before he meets up with us later, whether that be on this trip or at home."
Richardson didn't think Jones would be able to rejoin the Hawks in Seattle on Thursday. See video.
Depleted D-Corps
Jones is in the second season of an eight-year contract extension that pays a total of $76 million. The deal was completed by former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman in July 2021, three months before Bowman stepped down in the wake of the Brad Aldrich sexual assault coverup.
Seth Jones shoots agains the Minnesota WildRookie defenseman Kevin Korchinski also isn't with the team in Edmonton. The fleet 19-year-old was moved to non-roster on Friday to deal with a family matter.
That left Chicago with a defense corps led by veteran Connor Murphy to deal with McDavid, Leon Draistaitl and the surging Oilers, who have won seven straight.
Nikita Zaitsev, 32, will be the only other Blackhawks blueliner with more than 46 games of NHL experience. Rookies Alex Vlasic, Isaak Phillips, and recent call-ups Louis Crevier and Filip Roos will be tested.
Forward Ryan Donato will return to Chicago's lineup at Edmonton. He missed two games with an illness.