The Blackhawks lost an important member of their top six on Tuesday after Tyler Johnson left the game with an apparent leg injury, and it looks like he's going to miss some time.
Johnson got tangled up along the boards early in the third period with Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and needed assistance going to the locker room. He did not return and was seen leaving the United Center with a walking boot on his left foot.
Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said Johnson's injury was "not good tonight" but the team expects to know more on Wednesday, which is a scheduled off day.
"He's been so good for us," Richardson said following a 4-2 win. "We just hope it's not really long. He's a tough cookie. He's been great statistically for us, but watching him play away from the puck this year has been really inspirational for younger players on the team. He's leading by example. He's tracking hard.
"He's not a big guy, but he's physical. And he's a presence, he's a voice. He's got the experience of winning and what it takes to win, so definitely if he's out for a bit, we're going to miss that. We're just crossing our fingers tonight for that."
It's such an unfortunate blow for Johnson, who missed most of last season after becoming the second player in NHL history to have artificial disc replacement surgery on his neck. He already has six points (two goals, four assists) through six games this season after having seven points (three goals, four assists) in 26 games last season.
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"You never want to see that," Patrick Kane said. "He's been great for us this year. He's made a lot of plays on the power play, he works so hard 5-on-5, creates a lot for that line. He scored some big goals for us, too. Hopefully, he’s all right."
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