Not that the Chicago Blackhawks are hurting for forwards right now, but they might get one back soon anyways.
Bryan Bickell skated on Friday for the first time since suffering what’s believed to be a knee injury.
“I feel great,” Bickell told the Chicago Tribune.
The 27-year-old forward doesn’t have a timetable for his return, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville suggested that Bickell might be available following Chicago’s upcoming stretch of three games in four nights. Their first contest after that will be on Dec. 20 against the Vancouver Canucks.
Chicago has scored at least six goals in each of their last three games and leads the league with an average of 3.68 goals per game. Bickell has played a relatively small part in his team’s offensive production with five goals and six points in 22 games.
Expectations were high for him after he broke out during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs with 17 points in 23 contests. However, he was averaging 15:22 minutes per contest in the postseason compared to 12:54 in 2013-14.