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Blackhawks’ Frank Nazar out at least 4 weeks after taking puck to the face
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- Blackhawks’ Frank Nazar out at least 4 weeks after taking puck to the face
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The Chicago Blackhawks received some unfortunate injury news to one of their most important players, as forward Frank Nazar is going to be unavailable for at least a full month, according to head coach Jeff Blashill.
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Nazar was injured when he was struck with the puck that initially deflected off teammate Tyler Bertuzzi 's skate off a shot from Ottawa Senators defenseman Jordan Spence during Saturday evening's 6-4 setback in the Canadian capital city. When asked about when he believed that Nazar would be available again, Blashill said that it won't be until well into the New Year.
"He'll miss time for sure. Approximately four weeks probably," Blashill said via The Athletic following Saturday's game. "So he'll be out for a while."
The Blackhawks have fallen into a serious slump in their last 10 games, having won only two games while going 2-7-1 to fall into the final spot in the Western Conference's Central Division standings. Without Nazar, things aren't getting any easier for the Blackhawks, who already don't have Connor Bedard available to them because of an injury of his own.
The Blackhawks recently re-signed Frank Nazar to a long-term contract
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The Blackhawks, who selected Nazar in the first round (13th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, decided before the season that Nazar was going to be a long-term building block of the foundation that they're trying to build.
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General manager Kyle Davidson signed Nazar to a seven-year, $46.13 million contract despite his having not even appeared in 60 total NHL games at the time. Davidson said that he was thrilled to have Nazar locked down for the long term shortly after the deal was signed.
"Frank elevated his game last season and has proven himself to be one of the top young talents in the League," Davidson said via NHL.com. "He drives play using his elite speed and playmaking abilities, creating problems for opponents and opportunities for teammates every night. Frank is an integral piece of our team, and we're thrilled to have him with us for the next eight seasons."
Nazar is one of the most integral parts of the Blackhawks' forward lineup, and he's already on pace to easily break past his previous career-high mark of 26 points, having already tallied six goals with 15 assists in 33 games played.
