"He's an important player for us," head coach Jeremy Colliton said. "There's a lot that can happen, but it's a big positive to get him out there and we feel encouraged that we're going to get him back at some point."
That 'some point,' Colliton cautioned, is still a ways out, with the Blackhawks planning to take a patient approach to their young star's return to game action. Dach was originally given a timeline of 4-5 months following his surgery in December, a range that would see his return closer to the end of the year if it holds true.
"A lot of it's just time," Colliton said of the process. "He's going to look like he's ready to play and we're still going to hold him out, probably, to be smart. He's moving through here and that's a positive for everyone."
"I'm not sure exactly timeline-wise, but I do know that he looks good," he added.
Dach will head with the team on the upcoming road trip to keep skating and working his way back, be it with the full team or the taxi squad on different days.
"We'll take him so we can keep skating him," Colliton said. "Whenever we can get him with the group -- whether the taxi squad or full group -- it's another step to him joining the team."
