Dennis Gilbert to have wrist surgery after missing Blackhawks training camp

Dennis Gilbert returned home to Buffalo when the AHL paused its season in March due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

The Blackhawks defenseman prospect then headed to Chicago for Phase 2 voluntary workouts, but was left off the team’s Phase 3 training camp roster after medical staff “discovered a wrist injury that will require surgery,” Gilbert revealed Thursday on Twitter.

The Blackhawks did share a photo on Instagram and their team website July 2 of Gilbert participating in workouts at Fifth Third Arena, but there were no further updates.

Gilbert, a third-round selection (No. 91 overall) in the 2015 NHL draft by Chicago, had three points (one goal, two assists) in 21 NHL games and seven points (one goal, six assists) in 30 AHL games this past season. The physical 6-foot-2, 198-pound lefty had more NHL experience than all the prospects to make the training camp roster aside from 2018 first-round pick (No. 8 overall) Adam Boqvist, who had 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 41 NHL games during his rookie season.

Gilbert, who turns 24 in October, has one year remaining on his entry-level contract that he signed in April 2018 after his junior season at Notre Dame.

Alec Regula, who finished his junior career with a 60-point season (27 goals, 33 assists) in 56 OHL games for the London Knights, was at workouts early on so it appears Chad Krys filled in for Gilbert. Krys, a second-round pick (No. 45 overall) in the 2016 NHL draft, had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 41 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs.

Both Krys, a lefty, and Regula, a righty, have skated with the taxi squad group of players during the first three days of training camp.