Chicago Blackhawks: Corey Crawford injury takes them from bad to worse
Without Corey Crawford, the Chicago Blackhawks are going to be a pretty terrible team.
The Chicago Blackhawks season has the potential to go from bad to worse. They currently find themselves sitting at twenty-six points which is the second fewest in the league. To make matters worse, star goaltender Corey Crawford suffered a concussion in Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks when newly acquired center Dylan Strome crashed into the Stanley Cup champion netminder.
We’re all aware of recent concussions that have plagued Crawford in the past. He missed about nine months last season as a result of dealing with a concussion. There is a chance that he could respond differently this time. However, you never really know when it comes to concussions.
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At the very least, he’s likely to be put on injured reserve ahead of a Tuesday matchup against a hit Nashville Predators squad on NBCSN. The starting duties will more than likely be handed over to former Carolina Hurricanes starter Cam Ward, who owns a horrendous .883 save percentage.
The Blackhawks currently occupy the leagues worst power play and penalty kill percentage, which is not ideal considering they will be without their starting goaltender for the foreseeable future.
Where does the team turn for help with the absence of Crawford? Collin Delia will likely see a call-up from AHL Rockford. Anton Forsberg will likely stay with the Icehogs in Rockford if the Blackhawks decide to go in that direction. Of the two, Forsberg is the only one with NHL experience.
Which brings me to my final point – what do the Blackhawks intend to do with a 34-year old goalie who is concussion prone? Crawford has one more season left on his contract and has been linked as a possible trade piece.
The question remains could a team take a chance on well-established goalie that has a tendency to get hurt. One team that comes to mind as a possible trade destination for Crawford could be the New York Islanders who find themselves right in the thick of the Metropolitan playoff push.
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Thomas Greiss has played strong this season bolstering an 11-6 record with a .916 save percentage but Crawford could come in and flash some the magic that landed him two Stanley Cups on his resume.