Jeff Blashill says Bowen Byram is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, a fresh question mark on the Blackhawks blue line.
Charlie Roumeliotis relayed the update ahead of tonight's game against Winnipeg.
Byram has one assist and a -7 rating on a $6,250,000 cap hit.
That -7 is the worst mark among Chicago's defensemen.
The start hasn't been pretty, but a young blue line needs his minutes more than his rating suggests.
Thinning out a defense this young is like sending a school field trip out with one fewer chaperone. The kids are fine, until they aren't.
Artyom Levshunov is 20, and Sam Rinzel is 22, so the group already leans heavily on youth.
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Bowen Byram injury news puts Chicago's young defense under even more pressure
Connor Bedard returned Tuesday and picked up a power-play assist in a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh.
Chicago is now 2-5-0, with both wins coming at home.
Bedard carries a $15,000,000 cap hit, and the Blackhawks badly needed that jolt.
They've still allowed 29 goals in seven games.
Rinzel has a power-play goal, while 37-year-old Ian Cole sits at +2.
Alex Vlasic, on a $4,600,000 cap hit, anchors the group with an even rating.
Ethan Del Mastro and Kevin Korchinski have each dressed once, so Blashill has bodies to turn to.
Spencer Knight sits at .885, so the crease can't afford a leaky blue line either.
The Jets come in at 4-1-1 after a 5-2 win over Minnesota, still without Connor Hellebuyck as his standoff with the team drags on.
Anton Frondell leads Chicago with 6 points.
Frank Nazar has 2 goals, though he's sitting at -5.
Andrew Mangiapane remains out until at least Oct 25.
Kyle Davidson built this blue line around youth, so a few bumps were always part of the plan.
If Byram sits, does Levshunov get a bigger role?
Dallas visits Saturday, before Montreal comes to town on Oct. 23.
Day-to-day is the best version of bad news. For a blue line this young, even a few days can feel long.
Should the Blackhawks give Artyom Levshunov a bigger role while Bowen Byram is out?
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