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The Blackhawks will be without a key veteran presence for a month: "A big loss in a lot of ways"
Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Jeff Blashill's comment today echoed a heartfelt sentiment, as the Chicago Blackhawks will miss Captain Nick Foligno in the lineup due to a recent injury.
Forward Nick Foligno will be out of the lineup for four weeks, according to recent reports.
The team will have to figure out how to cope without a leader in the lineup. The man who's been responsible for helping to construct the Blackhawks culture from the ground up.
The Blackhawks' season has been off to a great start, as they've climbed to 3rd in the Central Division with a 9-5-4 record. And he shares a role in helping to build this success.
Now, they'll miss him.
The Chicago Blackhawks Captain Nick Foligno Out Long-term With an injury suffered on Saturday Against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Now, without Nick Foligno, who took a puck to the hand off a shot from Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe in the last ninety seconds of the game on Saturday.
Head Coach Jeff Blashill believes this will be a huge loss to the team, and we're wondering if it'll be a detrimental loss, given how he effectively is a fourth-line forward now. He's a bottom-six forward who has played up and down the lineup and has sacrificed his hand to block a shot from the Maple Leafs.
His efforts haven't gone unnoticed.
"Nick is a big loss in a lot of ways," Blashill said postgame. "From a leadership standpoint, for sure. He's a great leader in the room. Our guys have tons of respect for him; he's an extension of the coaching staff. I like to pick his brain on a lot of things. That's not to say that he won't be around, but it's a little different when you're not in there, game in and game out. We will certainly make sure we work to include him."
Foligno's role is explicit here, as he's here to help be an extension of the coaches, giving players an idea of their role on the ice and helping them develop into NHL stars.
We've seen how well he's handled Connor Bedard's development in his first season here, and he's more than capable of being more than just a bottom-six forward; he's a leader and a competitor.
He's been familiar with this kind of role before, where he was the captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Foligno helps out the Blackhawks in more than just being a producer; he helps win face-offs and plays on both the power play and the penalty kill.
He'll join Tyler Bertuzzi and Jason Dickinson on the list of the injured of the Blackhawks this season.
Who will fill the role of leader in his absence is the question we have in the meantime.
The Blackhawks captain will be out long-term with an injury, and they will have to meet the moment without key leadership.
The bottom-six leader has played 15 games this season and scored 6 points. This will be the second time Foligno's had to step away from the team due to circumstances beyond his control.
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