BLACKHAWKS: KEITH UNLIKELY TO PLAY FIRST FOUR PRESEASON GAMES

Duncan Keith Jersey has been deemed unlikely to play in many, if any, the Blackhawks game preseason, when training camp opened. As of now, it does not look like it will be in the first few.

Keith probably will not play in the first four preseason games Blackhawks assistant coach Kevin Dineen said following the training camp sessions Monday. Whether or not Keith will play at all, which is still in the air.

"That's a question Dunc and medical staff, Stan [Bowman] Joel [Quenneville], we will all come to this. I foresee certainly in these first four games. I would say it will not happen" Dineen said. "We'll let him continue to make progress on his schedule he is now."

Keith attended a practice every day, but not in one of the scrimmages. The assistant coach Mike Kitchen said Keith asked to skate in the second team training every day - each session is approximately 20-25 minutes - but the Blackhawks Jersey have said no. From now on, both Dineen and Figure Kitchen Keith will be ready for the regular season opens but the Blackhawks will continue to be cautious with him.


"It is wheeling around, do well," said Dineen. "We had a good conversation with him today. It feels like it has a lot of jump, but not a lot of stamina now. We will continue the way we have treated so far. We will continue to move forward in this way. "

Players returning soon

Patrick Kane, who was at the United Center Monday afternoon, will skate with the Blackhawks on Tuesday. Defender Michal Kempny will also join Tuesday's sessions. Dineen said Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marcus Kruger, Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin expected to join the Blackhawks Friday.

Neither Kane nor Kempny should play Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pokka is back

Ville Pokka defender, who played for Team Finland at the World Cup of Hockey, skated with the Blackhawks on Monday.

"Anyone returning from Toronto over the past two weeks is going to have a heck of a lot of confidence," said Dineen. "A young child like to have the chance to represent his country on the international scene is a great honor and a pick-me-up position in the training camp and the season."

First cuts made

The Blackhawks made their first round of cuts Monday, sending Radovan Bondra, John Dahlstrom, Nathan Noel and Roy Radke to their respective junior teams. The active list is now at 57 players.