The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL simply based on rosters. They got off to a hot start but have cooled way down over the last few weeks. Now, they are really cold following a weekend where the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins destroyed them.
Part of the reason that they have come crashing down is the fact that Seth Jones has come out of the lineup. That is not good for a team whose roster is mostly bad as it is. He has missed the last ten games following an injury to his thumb.
He hurt it blocking a shot on October 29th against the Buffalo Sabres. He finished that game but hasn’t played in any of the ten games since. During that span, the Blackhawks are 2-6-2 which is absolutely terrible. As a result, they have fallen way down the standings.
Jones skated on his own before practice on Tuesday and then was a full participant with the rest of the team when it started for real. That is the first time that he has done that since his injury. Now, it seems like he is trying to be ready to go on Wednesday night.
The Chicago Blackhawks are getting Seth Jones back right in time.
This game on Wednesday is going to be a very tough task. The Dallas Stars are one of the best teams in the NHL and the Blackhawks get to go there and play them in Jones’ hometown. That would certainly give them a much better chance.
Even with Jones, they are a far inferior team to pretty much everyone but having him will certainly give them a chance to at least be competitive. He plays well at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill which makes him incredibly valuable.
Again, he isn’t going to be the savior but he makes them much more respectable. You can assume that forwards like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will be happy to have him back in the lineup. He makes everyone’s job easier. Even the goalies will appreciate his return to games.
It would be nice to see Ian Mitchell get to stay with Jones returning. This is a good young defenseman that could learn a thing or two from a guy like Seth Jones who has had a very nice NHL career so far. This should be fun to watch if he does actually return as planned.
