Blackhawks deliver top-line promotion to two forwards amidst Bedard, Nazar injuries

Tonight, ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks game against the Philadelphia Flyers at home in the United Center, the team has made moves in the lineup.

The Blackhawks have promoted two forwards to the top line tonight, as the team has caught the injury bug, with Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar out of the lineup.

With two key forwards missing, Jeff Blashill has to be careful, as they welcome Rick Tocchet and the Flyers onto home ice. They're currently 2nd in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 18-10-7.

With Bedard and Nazar out of the lineup, Coach Blashill has promoted both Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev to the top line tonight.

The move gives the team an edge in the injury-adjusted lineup.

With a shortage in talent and a need for bodies, the Blackhawks have had to resort to the inevitable tonight.

By promoting both forwards who have been until now, bottom-six options in the lineup, they will have some snarl on the top-line, while the Flyers, who are 2nd in the Metropolitan Division, play a north-south, dump and chase style of hockey under Tocchet.

It sounds like we might be exaggerating with Jeff Blashill's latest moves, but we've seen stranger things in the NHL before. Of course, this gives the Blackhawks a different flavor of hockey without skilled players in the lineup.

Blashill believes now they'll have to win a different way without Bedard and Nazar playing.

Tonight we'll see how the experiment goes.

This season, in 22 games with the Blackhawks, Jason Dickinson has scored 6 points (3-3) and is a former 20-goal scorer.

While Ilya Mikeheyev has been here once before this season, and last served as an option on the top-line from time to time, but never utilized alongside Bedard the full season.

In 33 games this year, he's scored 10 points (6-4).

With Bedard missing time due to a shoulder injury, his absence will impact the game tonight, but it could put his future with Team Canada into question.