Blackhawks Bits: Kane is a ‘maybe’ for Friday’s game

The good news is that the injury to Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane does not appear to anything serious.

The bad news is that he may not be in the lineup on Friday night when the Blackhawks host the Arizona Coyotes, based on developments during Thursday’s practice.

Kane was not on the ice for that practice, with coach Luke Richardson later telling the media that Kane is a “maybe” for the Arizona game.

Of course, given The Plan™ for this season, Kane’s potential absence from the lineup could also be perceived as good news in the long-term.

Andreas Athanasiou also missed practice on Thursday, perhaps another victim of that “bad shrimp” that assistant coach Derek King referenced earlier in the week.

With Athanasiou and Kane absent, here’s what the lines looked like at practice:

Friday’s game presents another opportunity for 2020 first-round pick Lukas Reichel to find his footing at the NHL level, something he discussed with reporters after practice:

Save for a brief call-up for one game in December, Reichel’s spent this hockey season with the IceHogs. He’ll have a few familiar faces on the second power-play unit for Friday’s game, based on how that grouping looked during Thursday’s practice:

Friday’s game against the Coyotes at the United Center is set for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.