|
CHICAGO -- A lengthy discussion about Teuvo Teravainen is coming for the Chicago Blackhawks. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman will likely sit down later this week to determine what they want to do with the 20-year-old Teravainen, the organization’s top prospect. Bowman and Quenneville said coming into the season Teravainen’s play would determine whether he made the NHL team out of training camp. So far, he hasn’t played much in the preseason. After participating in camp at Notre Dame, he missed the first three preseason games due to an upper-body injury, played against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday and will be a healthy scratch against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. “We haven’t seen him a ton this camp,” Quenneville said after the team’s morning skate on Wednesday. “We liked him in the game he played. We like him in practice. I thought he was fine at Notre Dame. We see progress to his game. It seems like he’s a little stronger. Awareness, really tough [to] gauge now defensively to watch him via the scrimmages we had and the game. We’ll probably get him in Friday and let’s see.” Teravainen has looked comfortable and held his own when he’s been on the ice. He had a couple goals during scrimmages at Notre Dame and scored in his lone preseason game. Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane is impressed by what he's seen of Teravainen. “He’s been looking really good,” Kane said on Wednesday. “He’s got a lot of skill. I think he’s still a pretty young kid still. You know it’s not really my decision to make what happens with him. But he’s obviously got a lot of skill, and you can tell he’s going to be a really good player in the future. Even now when he plays, he’s got a lot of good agility where he can move side to side with the puck and make those little plays most guys can’t make. He’s going to be a good one.” The Blackhawks currently have a full roster of forwards. With Teravainen included, they have 15 forwards competing for 12 spots in camp. A fourth-line winger role appears to be the only spot where Quenneville has yet to make a decision. Quenneville acknowledged that Teravainen, who is slender and more of an offensive player, may only be suited for a role on one of the top three lines. “It’s something organizationally you have to look at,” Quenneville said. “What’s going to be better for him, his long-term development, what’s going to make him a better player long term as well. But that’s a good question, and something we have to look at.” Quenneville also said they have to weigh whether Teravainen would benefit for more time with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. “That’s something we definitely got to talk, look at and evaluation knowing it’s a great league, the American League, and it’s a great developmental place for a lot of players,” Quenneville said. “Getting some exposure to that league whether 20 games, 40 games. He had a little taste of it last year. It’s something definitely we have to look at.” Outside of those questions, the Blackhawks must also decide if they can even fit Teravainen under the salary cap. The Blackhawks have to reduce their cap payroll by about $2.2 million to include Teravainen on their NHL roster. Quenneville didn’t know whether their decision about Teravainen would ultimately be based on money. “I’m not sure exactly how that is right now with that,” Quenneville said. Teravainen has kept a positive attitude despite not knowing what his fate will be. His goal hasn’t changed, though. “I know the roster is pretty full here, and it’s tough to make the team, but that’s my goal still,” Teravainen said after practice on Tuesday. “I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. I really don’t know.”
|
