The Blackhawks are “shooting for” Corey Crawford joining the team and traveling with them to Edmonton on Sunday.
General manager Stan Bowman gave by far the most optimistic — though still vague — description of Crawford’s status yet on Tuesday.
“We are hopeful” that Crawford will travel with the team, Bowman said. “We’ll be able to give you a better idea when we get closer to the weekend, but it’s something that we’re still shooting for... We’re still hoping that’s the case.”
Crawford did not attend any of the Hawks’ Phase 2 workouts, which began June 10, and has also not yet appeared at training camp, which started last week.
He’s been described by coach Jeremy Colliton as “unfit to play,” the NHL’s new universal term for all players missing from practice, be it because of injury, COVID-19 or any other reason.
Trade deadline addition Malcolm Subban and AHL goaltenders Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen have been battling for the No. 1 job in his stead.
Crawford’s return for the Hawks’ playoff run, which starts Aug. 1 against the Oilers, could prove absolutely crucial to the team’s chances. The two-time Stanley Cup champion had an especially excellent second half of the regular season and tied for 15th in the league with a .917 save percentage despite playing behind one of the league’s leakiest defenses.
Toews out, Murphy and de Haan skate
The list of key players practicing with the Blackhawks has become a merry-go-round of absences and returns.
The ride took another spin Tuesday, even before Bowman’s comments about Crawford.
Jonathan Toews missed practice but defensemen Calvin de Haan and Connor Murphy made their first appearances in a while, albeit not with the rest of the team.
Toews left Monday’s practice midway through after breaking his stick in a power play drill, but coach Jeremy Colliton dismissed it as a non-concern hours later, saying it was “nothing other than” the team “trying to keep him fresh.”
He never showed Tuesday, however.
Meanwhile, Murphy skated on his own before practice began and de Haan skated on the second rink at Fifth Third Arena while the rest of the team scrimmaged.
Calvin de Haan is skating by himself on the second rink at Fifth Third. He’d been absent for a week due to a family emergency.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 21, 2020
Great news for the Blackhawks. pic.twitter.com/1fqnho5Y2Z
Murphy had been missing since last Friday and had also received the “unfit to play” designation. De Haan had been missing since last Tuesday due to what Colliton described as a “family emergency.”
Although neither player participated in contact drills, both looked generally healthy and able in their skates.
