For starters, Richardson revealed that Arvid Soderblom will get the start in goal. This will be his 5th start of the season. The 25-year-old is 1-2-1 with a .933 save percentage and 2.27 goals-against average this season. The Blackhawks' head coach also confirmed that Taylor Hall will be out as a healthy scratch and Seth Jones will be out with a foot injury.
Richardson explained his decision to scratch Hall tonight. He said that this was part of the plan with him coming into this season, as he is still trying to get back up to 100% of game speed after missing so much time recovering from a major surgery.
Jones meanwhile, appears to have been injured in the team's last game. Blackhawks reporter Ben Pope aptly pointed out a play during their game against the Seattle Kraken in which he blocked a shot with his foot.
Foot injuries can be very scary for hockey players as it can have a huge impact on their ability to skate. Elite players can sometimes get away with playing through those injuries, but that is a lot to ask from them, especially if the injury is particularly bad.
At this point, we do not know the extent of Jones' injury. It would seem that it is not too serious based on the way Richardson is talking about it, but with the veteran going on IR, he must be out for at least seven days.
Be sure to tune in tonight to see how the Hawks deal with these lineup changes against a good Canucks team. So far, the Blackhawks have not been much better than they were last year which is disappointing for their fans, but could be good in the long-term if they can get another top-five pick in the 2025 NHL draft.
POLL | ||
How many points do you think Taylor Hall will score this year for the Chicago Blackhawks? | ||
<30 | 31 | 59.6 % |
30-40 | 13 | 25 % |
41-50 | 5 | 9.6 % |
>50 | 3 | 5.8 % |
List of polls |