Connor Bedard to miss several weeks due to injury, will be re-evaluated in January

Blackhawks star Connor Bedard will miss several more weeks with an upper-body injury, but it doesn’t sound like it’s anywhere near season-threatening.

Coach Jeff Blashill said Monday that Bedard will be “re-evaluated after the New Year” and that surgery is not required at this time.

“Let’s start with the rehab and see where it goes, and I’ll have a better update after that,” Blashill added.

“Honestly, his attitude is good. I think he wants to be back next week. That’s the approach that he takes: he wants to be back. He would’ve preferred I had said ‘day-to-day,’ but…the reality is we won’t let him do that before after the New Year.”

The Hawks have seven games left in December for which they won’t have the NHL’s fourth-leading scorer available, and it seems inevitable that he will miss at least the first couple games of January, too.

Considering Bedard has scored or assisted on 48.4% of the Hawks’ total team goals this season, his absence is catastrophic; it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which the team doesn’t struggle offensively without him.

But they could get a small boost with the upcoming return of captain Nick Foligno, who hasn’t played since Nov. 15 due to a hand injury. Blashill said Foligno will come on this week’s road trip, and although he won’t play Tuesday against the Maple Leafs, he could play Thursday or Saturday against the Canadiens or Senators, respectively.

Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro was called up from Rockford on Monday to provide extra depth on the trip. Veteran goalie Laurent Brossoit was also called up but he will be placed on waivers Monday, Blashill said, and return to Rockford if he goes unclaimed.

This story will be updated.