Chicago Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall out week to week with upper-body injury

The Chicago Blackhawks have already experienced some highs two games into 2023 No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard’s career. They won their season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday, watching him pick up his first NHL assist. In Wednesday’s loss to the Boston Bruins, they saw him bury his first NHL goal, sneaking a wraparound past reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark.

But the Hawks have experienced a major low after two games, too. After Wednesday’s defeat, head coach Luke Richardson revealed that first-line left winger Taylor Hall is out week to week with an upper-body injury.

Hall got hurt on a hit from big Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo early in the second period. Hall was crossing the blueline into the neutral zone, playing the puck, and didn’t see Carlo coming in his peripheral vision. The hit wasn’t from behind, and Carlo appeared to catch Hall in the shoulder, but Hall had no idea Carlo was there:

Richardson expressed his displeasure with the play.

“That’s a blindside hit. I know exactly what it was because I used to do it all the time,” said Richardson, a former NHL defenseman with 1,417 games of rugged play to his name.

The Blackhawks will soldier on without Bedard’s primary left winger for the forseeable future. Hall assisted on Bedard’s first-period goal Wednesday, and their line, which also includes Ryan Donato, had flashed promising play-driving chemistry through four periods together, holding a 55 percent share of 5-on-5 scoring chances and outscoring opponents 2-1. Hall, the 2010 NHL Draft’s first overall pick, was an ideal mentor to play with Bedard.

Hall, 31, never blossomed into a perennial superstar but for the most part has lived up to his top-pick billing. He’s six points away from 700 in his career and won the 2017-18 Hart Trophy after carrying the New Jersey Devils to the playoffs. Injuries have plagued him consistently, however. He missed 21 games last season due to a lower-body ailment.