Chicago Blackhawks forward suffers injury, questionable to play in Sunday's game vs. Ducks

The playmaker has been one of Chicago's quieter engines this season, posting 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points across 25 games. His chemistry with Connor Bedard created smoother exits and steadier possession, especially during tighter second periods.

Losing Teravainen unsettled the forward rhythm, because his transition reads usually stabilize the middle six. He logged nearly 18 minutes a night, and his reliable two-way routes made matchup decisions easier for Jeff Blashill.

Chicago practiced Saturday without him, and the line rushes showed how disruptive his absence might be. Young forwards like Landon Slaggert and Oliver Moore continued rotating into expanded looks, yet the power play clearly loses structure without Teravainen's half-wall patience.

Blashill called him questionable for Sunday, a label that leaves plenty of ambiguity, especially with the schedule tightening next week. Teravainen has avoided major injuries for most of his career, but the staff rarely risks reinserting a key creator too soon.

He suffered the injury late in Friday's loss to the Nashville Predators, a game in which Chicago generated only nine slot attempts. Without Teravainen's controlled entries, the Blackhawks leaned too heavily on stretch plays that rarely connected.

The matchup against Anaheim looms larger than the calendar suggests, because Chicago sits two games under .500 and needs cleaner puck management.

Teravainen helps reduce defensive-zone scrambling and gives Bedard safer support in tight seams.

If he cannot go Sunday, Chicago must find offense through quicker cycles and more direct net drives. If he does go, even limited minutes could restore some balance.

Either way, the next step will tell fans plenty about how the Blackhawks plan to manage injuries as they chase steadier footing.