Another Blackhawks forward joins Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar on injury list with Tuesday's exit vs. Islanders

Chicago dropped a 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, and Dickinson didn't make it to the final horn.

He missed the second period and then was ruled out before the third.

That timing matters because Chicago already had to juggle matchups without much margin down the middle.

Connor Bedard's latest injury update isn't pretty at all, and Frank Nazar's updated timeline may be even worse.

Dickinson is 30, and he's not just a «nice depth guy» on this roster, he's a stabilizer. He's sitting on 8 points in 25 games this season, and he carries a $4.25 million cap hit on his current deal.

Now the Blackhawks are staring at three banged-up centers at once. Connor Bedard is out with an upper-body issue and had 44 points in 31 games, while Frank Nazar is on IR with an upper-body injury after putting up 21 points in 33 games.

The team did confirm he wouldn't return, which at least stops the guessing during the game. It's a small update, but it usually means the real news comes after evaluation.

The frustrating part is Dickinson has already dealt with an upper-body problem this season, and the local reporting tied it to a shoulder.

Chicago activated him off injured reserve in late November after he missed 10 games.

Oliver Moore had two assists Tuesday and may just be able to fill the void left behind by Dickinson, but leaning on a young center for matchup work is a whole different ask.

Chicago actually showed some pushback after falling behind early, tying it in the second period. Still, the errors that start in the middle of the ice, missed touches, and late support tend to snowball when you're short on centers.

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The next milestone is simple and brutal: get through Thursday against the Dallas Stars without the position turning into survival mode.

If Dickinson isn't ready, the Blackhawks are going to need their wingers to play like centers for a night.