Connor Bedard has had a successful surgery and now waits to return to the ice
Blackhawks star rookie Connor Bedard suffered a nasty injury vs the New Jersey Devils on January 5, 2024. Bedard skated hard into the offensive zone with his head lower than usual. He was then battered by Devils defenseman Brendan Smith. After the big hit, Bedard skated off the ice and into the locker room.
X-rays determined that Connor Bedard had sustained a jaw fracture in the collision. Bedard required surgery but not major surgery that would require his jaw to be wired shut, which is good news. Bedard had a successful surgery and now has a timetable on when he could return to the ice.
MEDICAL UPDATE: Connor Bedard underwent successful surgery to repair his fractured jaw.
We expect him to be out of the lineup for approximately 6-8 weeks. pic.twitter.com/LotxSADHgA
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 10, 2024
The bad news about the prognosis
The 6-8 week window means there will be no Connor Bedard on the ice during all-star weekend in Toronto. Bedard had just earned his first all-star honors only a few days before his injury sidelined him.
The earliest Connor Bedard could return to action is February 21st. That day the Blackhawks host the Philadelphia Flyers at the United Center. If the injury recovery takes 8 weeks Bedard would return the first week of March. The Blackhawks visit the Arizona Coyotes on March 5, 2024, which is 8 weeks from today.
Bedard was in the middle of one of the best rookie seasons not only in recent memory, but also NHL history. The Bedard injury strangely mirrors what happened to NHL superstar Connor McDavid in his rookie season. Connor McDavid even mentioned in a press conference how he feels sympathy for Bedard as the veteran was once in the rookies skates.
Bedard will play again this season, it’s just a matter of how fast his jaw can heal. At this point the Blackhawks are just trying to survive the season. The injuries continue to pile high on a team that was already struggling when healthy. Good news is the Blackhawks will likely have another lottery pick in 2024.
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