Chicago Blackhawks will have it even tougher in their attempts to turn around their disappointing seasons. The team announced over the weekend that they will be without forwards Zack Smith and Andrew Shaw for the rest of the season.
Smith was out since February 12th game against Vancouver Canucks, when he injured his hand. This injury caused him to miss the past seven games, but it turns out 31-year-old will be out because of an unrelated health issue. According to Blackhawks’ announcement, Smith is scheduled to undergo back surgery.
Chicago acquired Smith in the offseason, trading Artem Anisimov to get him from Ottawa Senators. He played 50 games this season, scoring four goals and adding seven assists.
Shaw, on the other hand, hadn’t played since late November, when he suffered a concussion. Blackhawks placed him on long-term injured reserve with hopes of bringing him back if they get involved in a postseason race. Since the team is at the bottom of Central Division at the moment, they ended up deciding it would be an unnecessary risk.
Shaw contributed with three goals and seven assists in the 26 games he played in the 2019/20 NHL season.
