The Blackhawks were back on the practice ice on Thursday after Wednesday’s upset win over the surging Colorado Avalanche, with a couple of small lineup adjustments to report.
We’ll start with the lineup construction at practice for the forwards and defense:
#Blackhawks lineup at practice:
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 9, 2025
Bertuzzi-Bedard-Mikheyev
Reichel-Dickinson-Foligno
Dach-Nazar-Teravainen
Maroon-Kurashev-Donato
Kaiser-Jones
Vlasic-Crevier
Allan/Martinez-Brodie
Mrazek
Söderblom
Not practicing: Hall (maintenance), Smith (back), Murphy (groin)
Of the three veterans who missed practice, Craig Smith is the only one with a newer injury, one that may be keeping him out of the lineup for Friday’s game in Detroit against the Red Wings. Taylor Hall’s absence isn’t any cause for alarm, though:
Chicago interim head coach Anders Sorensen said Taylor Hall will be good to go Friday vs. Detroit after taking a maintenance day at practice.
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 9, 2025
Craig Smith is day to day after reaggravating his back. #Blackhawks
If Hall’s going to play, though, someone from those four forward lines at practice must be headed to the press box and Philipp Kurashev is already expected to return in place of Craig Smith. So who’s the odd man out?
Reichel is likely a placeholder for Hall, so he'll likely be a healthy scratch tomorrow while Kurashev returns to the lineup https://t.co/6J7vtNhhHl
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 9, 2025
Seems like it could be Maroon getting a night off instead of Reichel, doesn’t it? Play the kids and all that? Again, it’s not like Reichel has been lighting up scoreboards every night but the lack of continued focus on playing the younger players during a rebuild seems to be missing the mark of what this season’s real objectives are.