The Chicago Blackhawks are getting a deeper look at what they’ve got down on the farm.
On Friday, the club put veteran forward Patrick Sharp on long-term injured reserve -- stemming from an injury suffered against Montreal on Nov. 4 -- and recalled Phillip Danault from AHL Rockford.
Danault, 21, was Chicago’s first-round pick (26th overall) at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and has performed well for the IceHogs this year, with 10 points in 14 games.
In Chicago, he’ll be reunited with a few of his Rockford mates.
Adam Clendening, the defenseman taken 10 spots after Danault in ’11, made his NHL debut on Thursday night in a 4-3 win over Calgary. Other Rockford farmhands on the ‘Hawks active roster include Jeremy Morin and Joakim Nordstrom; earlier this season, Chicago also had a look at Rockford goalie Scott Darling.
Oh, and just a quick note on Sharp -- he was placed on LTIR retroactively, and is still on schedule for return in 3-4 weeks:Joel Quenneville said yesterday that he expects Patrick Sharp to start skating today or tomorrow. Going on LTIR shouldn’t alter timeline.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) November 21, 2014