Bryan Bickell knew it wasn’t a concussion, but he didn’t know what was keeping him out of the lineup at the most important time of the year.
It was eventually revealed that the Chicago Blackhawks forward was dealing with vertigo. He missed the opening two games of the Stanley Cup Final, returned for Game 3, and then wasn’t used for the remainder of the series.
Over the summer he discovered the likely explanation for why he was having so much trouble: He had an infection from a tooth that needed to be pulled, per NHL.com’s Brian Hedger.
So that’s one mystery we can likely close to books on, but a very different question is lingering for Bickell. Will he be traded this summer? Given his $4 million annual cap hit and Chicago’s cap problems, he’s been a popular name in the rumor mill and it seems like he’s acutely aware of that.
Bickell’s been fishing/avoiding TV, radio & his phone. Asked him how he’d know if trade happens. “My parents will probably find out first.”
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) July 18, 2015