"Right now, I feel pretty good," Crawford said after practice at United Center on Friday. "Health-wise, I'm feeling really good. That way I could play. I think it's just a little more timing."
Crawford has been out since sustaining a concussion in a 7-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 16. The 34-year-old was injured at 18:30 of the first period when Sharks forward Evander Kane collided with Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome, who crashed into Crawford. Kane received a penalty for goaltender interference on the play.
Coach Jeremy Colliton said Crawford will not play when the Blackhawks host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, FS-O, NHL.TV).
Crawford is 6-14-2 with a 3.28 goals-against average, .902 save percentage and one shutout this season. He missed 47 games last season and the first five games this season with symptoms from a concussion he sustained against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 23, 2017.
The Blackhawks (24-25-9) have won seven of their past eight games and are two points behind the Minnesota Wild (27-25-5) for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Colorado Avalanche (57 points) and Vancouver Canucks (59 points) are also ahead of Chicago in the wild-card race.
Crawford knows that finding the right time to bring him back is tricky.
"Obviously, I want to come back in and be at the top of my game," he said. "But we're in a pretty good run right now, a pretty good stretch. So, you're really thinking about what game do you throw me in? I'll leave that up to Jeremy. Whenever they want to, I'm ready to play."
Colliton doesn't foresee Crawford's return disrupting anything.
Cam Ward and Collin Delia have shared the goaltending duties in Crawford's absence. Ward is 12-8-4 with a 3.60 GAA and .898 save percentage this season and Delia is 6-3-3 with a 3.22 GAA and .916 save percentage.
"I think it's a great problem to have, if you can call it a problem," Colliton said. "It's all positive."
Colliton said there have not been extensive discussions about keeping three goalies once Crawford returns.
"Never rule anything out," he said.
