Just when the Blackhawks were getting healthy and able to roll out a lineup at full strength, Dave Bolland’s lower-back problem could no longer be ignored. The surgery to repair a herniated disk was successful, but now that Bolland will be out between three to four months recovering a replacement is needed.
It’ll be hard to replace a player like him, but initially the organization will hope someone on the roster can fill the void. Yesterday, Stan Bowman said:
“I think we’ve got to sort it out internally first and see what we have. We’ve got some guys who kind of deserve the chance to see how they can play and see how that goes before jumping into anything else. That’s the approach for now and we’ll see how it works.”
A handful of players that can be considered for the role of second line center, and they are Patrick Sharp, John Madden, Kris Versteeg, Tomas Kopecky, Andrew Ebbett and Jake Dowell (currently in Rockford). Ebbett could be given a shot to replace Bolland out of the gate. I’ve been critical of him a time or two, but they guy did tally thirty-two points in forty-eight games for the Ducks last season. So there has to be something there. Right?
The Versteeg experiment at center lasted a little over one game. Coach Quenneville shuffled the lines during the Kings game, and moved him to the wing and put Ebbett on the second line at center – replacing Kopecky. Ebbett played reasonably well, and scored a fluky goal that bounced off his chest and into the net. Kopecky was demoted to the fourth line and keeps proving to be useless.
Sharp and Madden could eventually see time as the second line center, but Quenneville likes them in the role they are in now. I think Dowell would be recalled before either Sharp or Madden are used in that role. Any internal options Bowman has will be exhausted before he resorts to trading for suitable replacement for Bolland as the team is right up against the salary cap.
The Blackhawks play Colorado at home tonight, so we won’t have to wait long to see who Quenneville uses in Bolland’s spot.
In other news: Marian Hossa will take another step in his rehab. He will start participating in full contact drills either Thursday or Friday.
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