CHICAGO — Blackhawks defenseman Gustav Forsling will miss the start of the season because of a right wrist injury.
The 22-year-old Swede had surgery on Tuesday. Team physician Dr. Michael Terry says the expected recovery time is 14 weeks.
Chicago acquired Forsling in a 2015 trade with Vancouver for Adam Clendening. Forsling, a fifth-round pick by the Canucks in 2014, had three goals and 10 assists in 41 games last season.
The Blackhawks missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008, and the mix of inexperienced prospects and aging veterans among the defensemen was one of the issues. The injury to Forsling could help 19-year-old Henri Jokiharju, Chicago’s first-round pick in last year’s draft, make the team out of training camp.