Blackhawks Notebook: Stalberg Close To Returning [UPDATED]

Sooner rather than later, reinforcements will be on their way, Blackhawks fans.

Short of any setbacks at tomorrow’s morning skate, it appears that injured forward Viktor Stalberg is poised to return to the Blackhawks’ lineup against Nashville after missing two games with an upper body injury.

“We’ll see how he is tomorrow,” head coach Joel Quenneville said after practice. “There’s a chance that he could be going tomorrow.”

[UPDATE 12/22: Stalberg will not play Wednesday vs. Nashville. according to Joel Quenneville.]

Stalberg said after practice that he has been medically cleared to play, and whenever he returns to the lineup, he is looking forward to contributing.

“It felt really good to go out there and skate a little bit,” said Stalberg. “I’m looking forward to helping the team out. I hope to get back, do my job and keep the win streak going.”

If Stalberg does return Wednesday, he could be joined shortly after by fellow front men Marian Hossa (lower body) and Patrick Kane (upper body). Hossa, who has missed the last nine games after a collision in practice, participated in team drills Tuesday and worked on-ice with assistant coach Mike Kitchen after, but Quenneville said he will remain out until after the NHL’s Christmas break. The Blackhawks play again on Sunday, Dec. 26 against Columbus.

“We’re going to shoot for after Christmas [with him],” Joel Quenneville said. “He looked good out there today. He’s close.”

Kane, meanwhile, sat out of practice, but has been working with the team’s trainers to stay in game shape.

“He’s able to do a lot off the ice,” Quenneville said. “I think his conditioning is still going to be right for game conditions. It’s just a matter until he feels good on the ice. He’s not too far away either.”

In the meantime, several of the Hawks’ healthy forwards have stepped up in their teammates absences, including Troy Brouwer, Fernando Pisani and Bryan Bickell, who has recorded a point in six of his last seven games.

“It’s kind of tough to say that injuries are going to be good for any team, but battling through that adversity, having other guys step up and fill those key roles while other guys are out can only help us going down the stretch,” Patrick Sharp said. “If and when we can get healthy, we’ll be better off for it.”

HJALMARSSON TRENDING UP

After a rough first month of the regular season, one that saw his plus/minus rating drop to a season-low minus-9, it appears that defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson has returned to form as one of the Blackhawks’ best shut-down defenders, and a key piece to the defensive core Chicago rode to a Stanley Cup championship last season.

“I think he’s back to the way he was playing last year,” said Quenneville. “His thought process definitely looks like a guy who’s been around the game a long time. You don’t see many defensemen who have those type of instincts, but that’s his game.”

Since reuniting with defensive partner Brian Campbell, who missed the month of October with a lower body injury, the 23-year-old Swede has recorded a plus-eight rating and registered his first points of the season.

“I started the season with some different pairings — I can’t complain about that because I needed to be playing like I do with Soupy,” he said. “But it’s always nice to play with a guy you’ve played with before. I feel good playing with him; we have a good connection and it’s been going pretty good lately.”

HE SAID IT

“It’s awesome. Our Saturday practices are always the most fun because the fans come out, but with the holidays now, there seems to be a lot of kids and families out [in the stands]. It’s kind of fun to goof around out there and play around with them.”

–Patrick Sharp, on the standing room only crowd to watch practice at Johnny’s Ice House West in Chicago.

Tags: Brian Campbell, Bryan Bickell, Fernando Pisani, Joel Quenneville, Marian Hossa, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Troy Brouwer, Viktor Stalberg