Corey Crawford concussion: Where do Blackhawks turn at goalie? 3 candidates

The Blackhawks are back in the unfortunate situation of trying to patch together a plan at goalie after losing Corey Crawford to another concussion.

Crawford went out near the end of the first period in Sunday’s 7-3 home loss to San Jose, and the Hawks sent in backup Cam Ward. He allowed five goals on 35 shots as the Sharks came back from a 3-2 deficit.

It was Ward’s 14th appearance this year, and he came into the game with a .885 save percentage. That’s not entirely his fault, though, considering the Hawks allow an average of 34.3 shots on goal per game (fourth-highest in the NHL).

Ward, a 13-year veteran, is on a one-year deal worth $3 million and is one of the most experienced players on the roster.

They’ll almost certainly proceed with him as the starter for now, but will need another goalie on hand. The two most likely candidates are Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia, both with the minor league affiliate in Rockford. It helps that they played under coach Jeremy Colliton in the AHL this year, so he’s familiar with both as the Hawks make their decision.

Forsberg played 35 games for Chicago last season and was on the roster as a backup at the start of this year. He had a .908 save percentage and allowed four goals or more in seven of his games. He’s currently at .917 in Rockford.

Delia, 24, is a promising talent who appeared for the Hawks briefly last season and owns a .933 save percentage in the AHL this year. He started two games late last year and allowed seven goals on 63 shots.