The Chicago Blackhawks looked like they were finally ready to emerge from the basement of the Western Conference. But a losing skid has now been met with a brutal injury. Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard has an upper-body injury that has landed him on injured reserve, according to a team release.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman confirmed the news, stating that Bedard is on injured reserve and not long-term injured reserve. That means that Bedard has to miss a minimum of seven days as opposed to 24 days if he were on LTIR. The Blackhawks already played their first game without the 2023 first overall pick, losing 4-0 to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

Bedard had played all 31 games of the Blackhawks' season before Sunday, scoring an incredible 19 goals and 44 points. He has emerged into superstardom and put together quite the campaign to make Team Canada. Bedard could be out until after the holiday break, and Chicago has four key games between now and then.

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The Blackhawks hit the road for three games in Canada before the holidays. Games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators could have done a lot for Bedard's Olympic candidacy. But he will be at home nursing this upper-body injury instead.

The Blackhawks called up Nick Lardis to play his first NHL game on Sunday in Bedard's absence. They drafted him in the third round of the 2023 draft, just a day after they took Bedard. He put two shots on goal and was a -2 in the shutout loss to Detroit. Lardis could be a key piece for the Blackhawks moving forward and now has the opportunity to prove it.

Since November 20, the Blackhawks are 3-7-2 and have fallen out of the Western Conference playoffs. Without Bedard, a comeback before New Year's will be difficult. They need their superstar back soon to make a playoff push.