Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy are on the mend for the Chicago Blackhawks, but will either be ready for the season opener?
Two important contributors to the Chicago Blackhawks defense took a step closer to returning to game action Friday, a day before the team’s final preseason game against the St. Louis Blues.
Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy shed their white noncontact jerseys and played on the same pairing during practice Friday at Fifth Third Arena.
“Nice to shed the white jersey and kick off limitations,” McCabe said.
But he and Murphy, who has had back tightness, face different timetables to return to game action.
Earlier in camp, McCabe expressed optimism that he could recover from spinal surgery in time play in the home opener Oct. 21 against the Detroit Red Wings.
On Friday he said he’ll travel with the team for their opening-week trip — starting with Wednesday’s season opener against the Colorado Avalanche — but declined to say whether he’s still progressing on schedule.
“I’m not going to speculate,” he said. “That’s not my call.”
Coach Luke Richardson said McCabe is “doubtful for the road trip” but traveling with the team will help him get practice reps.
“He’s progressed pretty well, so I think a timeline is coming off the road trip,” Richardson said. “But that’s still up in the air. He had a contact jersey on today, so that’s a good sign.”
Murphy and McCabe last season averaged the second and third most ice time among Hawks defensemen — 21:46 and 20:18, respectively — and together put in minutes on the penalty kill.
Richardson was optimistic Murphy might be ready for the opener.
“We just thought it’d be better to get another day of practice or two with the team, but we’re hoping he’s ready for Game 1,” Richardson said..
Caleb Jones, who’s entering his second year with the Hawks, might be a scratch for the first game, however.
“I talked to him, he said he skated, he was a little sore,” said Richardson, who added there’s a chance Jones could play in one of the other games on the three-game trip.
Late Friday, the Hawks recalled defenseman Isaak Phillips from the Rockford IceHogs.
