Nov 18: As expected, Mitchell has been recalled from the minor leagues.
Nov 17: The Chicago Blackhawks don’t play again until Saturday, and they’ve cleared a bit of salary off the roster in the meantime. Alec Regula has been sent down to the AHL, clearing up another roster spot for whatever the Blackhawks do next.
That could just be Regula coming back up in a day or two, saving the team some money – he’ll earn the AHL salary of his entry-level contract while in the minor leagues – but it could also hint at a different move. Seth Jones has been on the ice the last few days but just yesterday head coach Luke Richardson told reporters including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that the team is going to wait seven to ten days before getting another x-ray done. His return is not imminent.
It could be Ian Mitchell’s recall, after he has shown exactly why many believed he would be on the Blackhawks roster to start the year, had it not been for injury. The 23-year-old defenseman has two goals and five points in his three games since being activated from injured reserve and sent to the Rockford IceHogs.
With the Blackhawks really struggling on defense without Jones in the lineup, at least one recall is expected. The team has several options and if they truly want to stay competitive, as Richardson claims, they can’t keep icing the same group that gave up five to the St. Louis Blues last night.
Doubting the veracity of that claim is fair, given the offseason that the Blackhawks had. Some might say that things are now going to plan, with a 2-5-3 record in their last ten.