As mentioned a few days ago, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser will kick off his season against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. The Blackhawks announced they have activated Kaiser from injured reserve and reassigned defenseman Isaak Phillips to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
Kaiser missed the Blackhawks’ regular-season opener against the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday due to illness. Thankfully, he didn’t miss much since the Blackhawks suffered a significant loss to the league’s newest team. It may take some time for Kaiser to get back up to speed with the Blackhawks, as the former 81st overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft was unable to participate in the preseason due to an undisclosed injury sustained early in training camp. Last season, he recorded seven assists in 32 games, averaging 17:19 of ice time per game. When fully prepared, he is expected to play on the left side of the bottom defensive pair alongside veteran Connor Murphy.
Phillips remained with the Blackhawks after clearing waivers on the final day before the regular season. He did not participate in the opening night loss and will now aim for more consistent playing time in Rockford. Since moving to professional hockey in 2020-21, Phillips has proven to be a dependable player for the IceHogs, scoring 22 goals and accumulating 71 points in 171 games.
