Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford is expected to complete the return-to-play protocol this week when he undergoes a medical evaluation, head coach Jeremy Colliton said Saturday according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Crawford, who has been out more than two months with his second concussion in less than a year, said Feb. 15 that he was “healthy to play right now,” but Colliton said four days later that the goalie is not medically cleared. That same day Crawford told the media he wasn’t worried about passing the test to be cleared.
[Related: Crawford’s concussion timeline]
Crawford will continue to travel with the team when they start their three-game road trip Wednesday in Anaheim. Chicago has a back-to-back during the trip, starting Saturday in Los Angeles and San Jose. According to the Sun-Times, Colliton declined to say if Crawford will play right away once he’s cleared.
Crawford and center David Kampf (right foot) are both on injured reserve. The Blackhawks have one open roster spot after re-assigning rookie defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the AHL on Saturday morning. On Feb. 13, Chicago placed Kampf on IR with a two- to three-week timetable to return meaning he could return for the road trip.