NEWSLETTER
One forward leaves, another comes back. Thus is life in the National Hockey League, and the Blackhawks are swapping one forward for another on injured reserve.
With Tyler Johnson out for a while with an ankle sprain, the club announced Friday that they have activated forward Boris Katchouk off IR. Katchouk was dealing with an ankle sprain that head coach Luke Richardson compared to Johnson’s left ankle sprain when the injury happened.
Katchouk, 24, was originally a second-round pick (No. 44) by the Lightning in 2016. He appeared in 38 games for Tampa last year before being traded. With the Blackhawks playing well right now, it will be interesting to see how and where they integrate Katchouk into the lineup.
The Blackhawks acquired Katchouk with Taylor Raddysh in the trade that sent Brandon Hagel to Tampa last year. He scored once in 21 games after joining the Blackhawks. And, with Johnson out of the lineup, he may find himself on a line with Raddysh — and Jonathan Toews — when the Blackhawks skate in Buffalo on Saturday.
