In 2003-04, Blackhawks right winger Eric Daze played the first three games of the season before his back started bothering him.
At first the injury simply was listed as stiffness. But by December, Daze underwent his third surgery on a herniated disc.
Daze made it through just one game of this season before his back flared up. He took just one shot in warmups Friday before leaving the ice and being scratched from the Hawks’ 6-3 victory over San Jose.
He had an MRI on Saturday that indicated a pulled muscle, general manager Dale Tallon said. Daze is listed as day-to-day, and the team is unsure whether he will go on the trip starting Tuesday in St. Louis.
If Daze’s back had been bothering him before the season opener, it would explain his slow finish to the exhibition season and poor outing Wednesday night.
“He’s a big part of our team, but our depth has gotten better,” coach Trent Yawney said. “Someone else is going to get an opportunity on that line, and that someone is going to be [Pavel Vorobiev]. He deserves it. He played very, very well [Friday].”
Vorobiev learned he was going from the fourth line to the top line after the warmups Friday and turned in a two-goal, one-assist performance while leading the Hawks with four shots on goal.
Of the Russian players the Hawks drafted recently, Vorobiev appears to be the best of the bunch. His NHL prospects appeared doomed after he suffered a serious knee injury during the 2000-01 season and had the subsequent surgery botched.
“It’s a credit to him because he has worked hard the last two years coming over early [from Russia] and going to Phoenix and paying for his own training,” Yawney said.
Vorobiev, 23, wasn’t fazed Friday when he heard he would play with Tyler Arnason and Tuomo Ruutu.
“I’m always ready to play with different lineups,” Vorobiev said. “I feel very good and excited.”
Both goals put Vorobiev’s world-class skills on display, as did his thread-the-needle pass for Arnason’s goal.
“[Vorobiev] finds guys out there,” Arnason said. “He has good hands and a good shot. I think he’s going to be a good player in this league.
“He’s just starting to evolve. This is the tip of the iceberg for this kid. I’ve seen him play some games in the minors where he was just dominating.”
Vorobiev was with Arnason and Ruutu in practice Saturday and will likely be on that line Sunday night against Columbus.
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rfoltman@tribune.com
