Blackhawks' Versteeg To Miss 3 Weeks
(CBS) Blackhawks winger Kris Versteeg will miss three weeks with a lower-body injury, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.
Versteeg left Tuesday's practice with the injury. It won't require surgery, the Tribune reported.
Versteeg had a strong training camp and was fighting for time on the third and fourth lines.
"It's kind of frustrating and disappointing for him," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said, according to the Tribune. "He was very upset with what happened. We're disappointed, too, because we felt he gives us a lot of versatility and options in our game. (With) penalty killing he gets more ice time for him and it looked like he'd found that stride he was looking for. We want to get him back to that pace when he gets back. We'll get excited again when he gets closer to our lineup. "
Ben Smith will have a bigger role in Versteeg's absence, Quenneville said.
Chicago opens the season Thursday at Dallas.