Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard returns from the shoulder injury that sidelined him through December for Friday's game against the Washington Capitals at United Center. The 20-year-old missed 12 games but still leads the team with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 31 games.
After sustaining the injury on December 12 in a faceoff collision with St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn, Bedard sat out 12 games. "I feel good," he said after Friday's morning skate. "Obviously it’s not fun kind of waiting and not being able to play, so it's exciting." He called the downtime challenging but valuable for improvement.
Bedard practiced recently, skated with the top power-play unit wearing a regular red jersey, and will resume his usual role. Assistant coach Mike Vellucci, filling in for the ill Jeff Blashill, called the return a "huge boost," with minimal lineup adjustments needed despite illnesses to forwards like Nick Foligno and Ilya Mikheyev.
The Blackhawks (18-18-7) ride a four-game win streak, three points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the Western Conference's second wild-card spot. Bedard noted the momentum: "You win a couple and you’re back in the (Stanley Cup) Playoff race. It’s an exciting time for us to keep that rolling." Capitals coach Spencer Carbery praised Bedard: "He's having a phenomenal season... his ability to change his shot angles as good as anybody in the world." Washington (22-16-6) lacks the last line change.