The Chicago Blackhawks activated captain Nick Foligno before Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. The team placed center Frank Nazar on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 20.
Foligno has missed 19 games with a left hand injury. He was struck by a shot during Chicago’s 3-2 home win over Toronto on Nov. 15.
Nazar was hit in the face with a shot by Senators defenseman Jordan Spence. The injury occurred during Chicago’s 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20.
The team expects Nazar to miss another three weeks.
The 38-year-old Foligno has recorded six assists in 15 games this season. He’s playing his 19th NHL season but hasn’t scored a goal yet.
Foligno leads Chicago with a 51.8% faceoff win percentage.
Nazar is in his second full NHL season and has emerged as one of Chicago’s top prospects. The 21-year-old Detroit native was drafted 13th overall in 2022.
He’s recorded six goals and 15 assists in 33 games for 21 points. That total ranks fourth on the Blackhawks this season.
Forward Ilya Mikheyev will miss his second game Sunday following the birth of his daughter. Chicago’s leading scorer Connor Bedard remains sidelined with an upper-body injury until at least early January.
The roster moves highlight Chicago’s injury challenges as they continue their rebuild around young talent like Nazar and Bedard.
