Former first-rounder activated off IR for Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are in action today against Winnipeg and have made several roster moves in advance of that game. The team announced that Jarred Tinordi has been activated off injured reserve while blueliner Louis Crevier has been recalled from AHL Rockford.  In corresponding moves, defensemen Wyatt Kaiser and Isaak Phillips have been sent to the IceHogs.

Tinordi is returning after missing the last three weeks with an oblique injury.  The 31-year-old has played in nine games so far this season, picking up an assist along with 23 hits and 19 blocks while averaging a little under 15 minutes a night.  Last season, Tinordi established himself as a regular in the second half, suiting up in a career-best 44 games, helping to earn himself a one-year, $1.25M contract.  He’ll be set to test unrestricted free agency this summer.

Generally, a 6-foot-6 player being added to the roster would be considered a pretty big addition size-wise but Tinordi is the smaller of the two additions to Chicago’s active roster as Crevier stands 6-foot-8. The 22-year-old is in his second professional season and has five assists in 16 games with Rockford, matching his rookie season output. This is his first-ever NHL recall.

As for Kaiser, he made Chicago’s roster out of training camp and has played in all 21 games so far this season after seeing nine games with them down the stretch after his college campaign came to an end.  The 21-year-old has four assists in those contests while averaging a respectable 16:34 per game. However, he has struggled a bit in his end in recent games and this demotion will give him a chance to reset while playing a much more prominent role with the IceHogs.

Phillips, meanwhile, is no stranger to being shuffled back and forth as this is his third demotion of the year already. The 22-year-old has played in nine games with Chicago this season, collecting three assists while picking up a goal and two helpers in eight games with Rockford.  It stands to reason that he’ll be one of the first recalls when further injuries arise as the season progresses.