Another Unfortunate Setback for Kris Versteeg, Chicago Blackhawks

By Sean Sarcu @seansarcu on October 8, 2014

Kris Versteeg couldn’t help but point out to Chicago media the difference between how he spent the summers of 2013 and 2014; the former was dominated by rehab from a torn ACL while the latter gave him his first chance for intensive offseason training in two years. Chicago Blackhawks fans, who had soured on Versteeg after his atrocious 2014 playoff performance, saw a vastly improved player this preseason. The winger wasn’t only showing off those quick cuts and deft puck handling skills that were missing in 2013, but he was also acting like the old Versteeg — a dash of cockiness here, feistiness there and an evident overall swagger.

Unfortunately, a lower-body injury suffered in practice on Tuesday will delay the party if not crash it altogether. Versteeg will reportedly be out of the lineup for about three weeks, a timetable that is particularly concerning due to the timing of it. Instead of getting the opportunity to translate his preseason form right into the regular season, Versteeg will have to rediscover his game on the fly after the rest of his teammates are well into their own routines.

Patience with the Lethbridge native is limited; the Blackhawks understand that it takes time to truly recover one’s game after an ACL tear, but the team won’t accept another year of the 2013 iteration of Versteeg. He will need to find a way to hold on to his game during this brief hiatus, because the leash is shortening by the day.

Sean Sarcu is a Chicago Blackhawks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.