Patrick Kane left after the second period of Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the United Center and did not return for the third period. The team called it a medical update but did not provide any specifics.
After the game, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson called it a lower-body injury for Kane, who is being evaluated by the training staff. The team expects to have more information on Wednesday.
"Nothing huge or major, but just felt it a bit and then he felt that it came on more today," Richardson said. "Just thought it was better to hold him out in the third and get him checked over.
"He just felt pain, that he wasn’t stable. Didn’t want to hurt it any more, which is a smart move I think by him and us to keep him off. He gave it a good try, and we needed him tonight."
Richardson said Kane's injury is related to a hit he took in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. It's unclear whether this is the play he's talking about, but Kane appeared to be in some pain after absorbing a hit from Evgeny Svechnikov late in the third period:
Kane returned for his final shift and finished the game on Sunday. When asked afterward whether he was feeling OK, he replied: "I think so, yeah. I should be all right. Get checked out here, so we’ll see."
The Blackhawks did not practice on Monday, but Kane was on the ice for the team's morning skate on Tuesday. Richardson, who stayed home because he's battling an illness, said the reports he got after the skate was that Kane was good to go.
NHL
"I talked to him before the game, he seemed fine," Richardson said. "But when you get into the game and start banging around, things flare up. So, I think it got worse, probably, as the game went on."
The Blackhawks will not hold practice on Wednesday, so we likely won't get an official update on Kane's status until Thursday.
The NHL trade deadline is exactly two months away, and Kane's name is going to be near the top of everyone's trade board. The Blackhawks are smart to take a cautious approach with his injury, even if it might be a minor one.
Click here to subscribe to the Blackhawks Talk Podcast for free.