Saturday, October 08, 2011

Bolland Out Yesterday, Likely Back Today

It sounds like a very minor injury situation for the Blackhawks and one of their key shutdown forwards in Dave Bolland. Bolland missed opening night in Dallas on Friday to an upper-body injury, not related to any concussion or back problems he has had in recent memory, but the coaching staff is rather confident that he will dress in the second half of a home-and-home against the Stars in Chicago on Saturday night.

Minus injuries to Bolland last season, he actually put up some impressive offensive numbers, to go with his superb defensive play.  In 61 games, Bolland did pick up 37 points and was instrumental in helping the team to the playoffs.  Those kind of numbers do translate well, but Bolland is slowly working his way into some injury-prone consideration, not having played a full 82-game season in his career.

ImplicationsOf course, this is not the kind of start Stacey C. was hoping for out of his 12th round pick.  When you're picking forwards down in the lower ranks of the draft, you're really pushing for those players that can make an extra push that year, making up for likely taking a chance on a defenseman or two early on, making up those key points that you are not going to get with blueliners.

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