Now that we have all now gotten over the honeymoon of last night's 5-0 shutout win, the hangover begins. That hangover consists, mainly, of the absence of Patrick Sharp. Sharp took an awkward knee to knee hit in the corner, late in last nights win, and could not get up under his own power. All signs point to Sharp being out of action for at least a few weeks, possibly more. With this injury, as well as the Gorilla Salad injury, the Blackhawks are spreading themselves a little thin. The next logical move would be to put one of those players, specifically Sharp, on IR and bring up a kid to play. Here are some suggestions of just who that may be, listed from least likely to most:
Garrett Ross - He would be the nuclear option. He's played well, but his game would cause far too much chaos in Lineblender's world. He's a version of Andrew Shaw, if you can imagine TWO of those players on the same team. If they bring a player up, Q will want a versatile player that he knows he can trust. Ross is not that player, at this point. He is waiver exempt and could be moved up and down freely.
Teuvo Teravainen - One word, no. Not because he can't handle it, and not because he isn't ready. Because we have become accustomed to Quenneville's moves. They do not want to shuffle him up and down to play 4th line minutes, at this point in his development. When he makes his debut, it's been made very clear that he is not going back to Rockford. At this piont in time, they aren't ready to make that move. If Sharp is out for longer than, say, six weeks, you might have an argument. As of this moment that is not the case. He is waiver exempt and could be moved up and down freely.
Matt Carey - Carey has become a nice surprise after the Leblanc debacle. He had a good camp and is currently right behind Teravainen on the score sheet, but he is also the most expensive player not on the Blackhawks roster. Money will certainly be an issue. He is waiver exempt and could be moved up and down freely.
Peter Regin - I put Regin here not because he isn't the most qualified, but because he is not completely waiver exempt and the Blackhawks would have to put him through the waiver process, after 10 NHL games, if they wanted to move him back down. He is tied for the team lead with McNeill in scoring. If they only need a player for 8 games, sure, he would probably be perfect.
Mark McNeill - This guy is a big Bickell type, that has better hands and talent. He just needed to catch up mentally. Judging by his preseason and first 10 games in Rockford, he has taken that next leap. He currently leads the Icehogs in scoring with five goals, and 5 assists. This would be a nice option, but Quenneville tends to lean away from players that have no NHL experience, if he has a choice.
Philip Danault - Had a great preseason, which left some to wonder if he would make the team out of camp. He currently has two goals and six assists in Rockford, and is one of the leaders of the team. Given his solid two way game and ability to play the penalty kill, I would list him as the 2nd most likely player.
Joakim Nordstrom - This is the player I would bet on. Quenneville trusts him, he is highly respected at both levels, and can play anywhere. Not only this, but he might be the most cost effective option, as well. He is waiver exempt, and has a history with Quenneville. I have been wrong plenty, but this makes so much sense to me.
