With Brent Seabrook (abdominal strain) and Carl Dahlstrom (flu) out, the Blackhawks had little choice but to recall 19-year-old defenseman Henri Jokiharju from Rockford before their 5-3 loss Friday to the Avalanche at the United Center.
Jokiharju, who was paired with Slater Koekkoek, surprised many at training camp in the fall. He broke camp with the Hawks and played in 37 games, notching 12 points. But his youth and inexperience were obvious at times.
Jokiharju got some of his confidence back when he helped Finland win the gold medal in the IIHF World Junior Championship in January, finishing the tournament with two goals and three assists. Upon his return to the Hawks, though, he was sent to Rockford for further development.
Jokiharju had nine points (one goal, eight points) for the IceHogs since Feb. 1, catching the eye of Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton.
‘‘He’s playing a lot and getting a little bit of swagger back to his game, making a few more plays than maybe he was here, and that’s what we need from him,’’ Colliton said. ‘‘He’s gotta make plays. It’s part of how he shows he can help the team win.’’
Asked whether it would be a short-term call-up for Jokiharju, Colliton said, ‘‘We’ll see.’’
Anisimov addresses trade talk
The Hawks have continued to search for a potential deal involving center Artem Anisimov before the 2 p.m. trade deadline Monday, according to Sportsnet.
Anisimov said he tries not to pay attention to the noise.
‘‘I’m not in control of that,’’ he said.
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Anisimov has struggled all season to control what he can on the ice. He had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his last 21 games through Friday.
‘‘This season has been an overall roller coaster, like stretches where I play good, and then I have stretches where I play bad,’’ Anisimov said. ‘‘And I just need to find that stability of playing on that same level.’’
Finding that balance, however, has been easier said than done.
‘‘I can be better, especially in this time of the year when we’re fighting for the playoffs,’’ Anisimov said. ‘‘And I need to be, like, ‘Every game, you need to be best.’ ’’
Crawford update
At this point in his recovery from a concussion, the hardest thing for goalie Corey Crawford is staying patient.
‘‘As soon as you start feeling good, you want to be back out there, but you have to go through certain things to get cleared,’’ Crawford said. ‘‘[I’m] just waiting for that.’’
With the Hawks fighting for a playoff spot, Crawford is even more eager for the medical staff to clear him to play.
‘‘We’ve been playing well, taking our game to the next level,’’ said Crawford, who has been out with the concussion since Dec. 16. ‘‘I just want to be a part of that, get in there.’’
Crawford said he expects to go through more tests this weekend and plans to travel with the Hawks next week to Anaheim, California.
