With Connor Bedard being activated off IR, the Blackhawks need to trim the roster. Many people thought that the natural move was to send down veteran Dominic Toninato, but it looks like Nick Lardis is on the move.
Lardis was great last year given his expectations. He played 41 games with the Blackhawks and scored at a 20-goal pace. This year, however, has been a different story.
Lardis really impressed at camp, and at times during the preseason. But once the regular season started, Lardis became invisible.
Jeff Blashill has tried him on in both the bottom six and top six, and neither have worked. Lardis has two assists and is a -2 in six games so far.
This is the right move for Lardis’ development. Confidence is fuel for goal scorers, and Lardis’ tank is empty.
With Bedard returning, the Blackhawks now have a established top six. Tyler Bertuzzi, Patrick Kane, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, and Roman Kantserov.
Let Lardis go tear it up in Rockford, and whenever there is an injury in the top six, give him another shot