Patrick Sharp Out Four Weeks After Emelin Hit

Chicago Blackhawks star forward Patrick Sharp will miss the next four weeks of play after suffering a leg injury in a game against the Montreal Canadiens earlier this week.

Sharp took a hit from Canadiens defensemen Alexei Emelin along the boards while chasing a puck in the corner. At the time, the hit seemed routine for physicality in the NHL, but the Sharp hit the ice immediately following contact and needed assistance to get off the ice.

Head coach for the Blackhawks Joel Quennevile was reluctant to delve into details regarding the specific nature of Sharp’s injury, calling it a lower-body injury. Quenneville did, however, imply the Blackhawks would need to begin thinking of a replacement.

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Chicago is fortunate enough to have several high level skilled forwards, but the loss will still be felt by the team. “We have some guys who have some skill, want more ice time,” said Quenneville. “We’ll see how that works out. Certainly, a lot of important ice time, and somebody should take advantage of that.”

Sharp has been one of the most consistent players for the Blackhawks over the last several seasons. Despite Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews pulling headlines and showing up on highlight reels, it’s been Sharp who has scored 30 goals or more in each of his last three seasons. In addition to offensive production, Sharp also rarely misses time due to injury, putting more pressure on the Kane and Teows duo to perform at a high level.

Chicago is currently in the middle of the Western Conference standings. Without Sharp for the next month, they’ll need to find a way to stay afloat until he’s healthy and can begin to contribute at a high level again. “It’s never easy, but we’ve been there before,” said Toews. “I think guys will try to step in and make up for [Sharp’s absence] as much as they can. But as a team, we have to be prepared to fill that void.”