The Blackhawks have shut down forward Cole Guttman for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury, head coach Luke Richardson confirmed on Monday.
Guttman, 23, is on his way to Los Angeles, where he will have a surgical procedure done. He is expected to be ready for training camp next season.
"He wanted to keep playing," Richardson said. "But I think the decision between him and his side and our side was the right thing to do it now, to get ready for next year. Because he's shown he can play here, so he wants to have a chance to be ready 100 percent at training camp so he can again."
Guttman suffered the injury back in November and likely reaggravated it on Feb. 25 against San Jose. He played through it for as long as he could, and the Blackhawks felt he proved himself enough that it made more sense for him to get the surgery sooner than later so his rehab process didn't spill into next season.
I'm told the Blackhawks knew surgery was a possibility, which is why they didn't make him eligible for the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Blackhawks are allowed only four call-ups after the trade deadline, and they probably didn't want to waste one of them on Guttman if they knew he was going to be shut down.
Guttman registered six points (four goals, two assists) in 14 games with the Blackhawks this season. He also had 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists) in 39 games with the IceHogs.
Click here to subscribe to the Blackhawks Talk Podcast for free.
