BLOG: Guttman Feels Ready After Season-Ending Injury Last Season

After he missed the rest of the 2022-23 season with a season-ending injury, Cole Guttman feels 100 percent ready to go in this year’s training camp. 

Throughout his recovery in the summer, he limited his skating until he made his return to Chicago. But as soon as he hits the ice, he can get back into the Blackhawks’ system. 

“For me, I haven’t played a game in a while, but the pace is really good, and I feel ready,” Guttman said.

Guttman played in 14 games with the Blackhawks last season where he recorded four goals and two assists before his season-ending injury. On March 16, the team announced that the forward underwent successful shoulder surgery that kept him out the rest of the season. 

Before his exit, Guttman played on a line with Tyler Johnson and Taylor Raddysh. For Johnson, he didn’t know much about him, but became surprised with the way he played. 
 
“This year, I think he’s even gotten better,” Johnson said. “I think he has a lot of confidence and makes those plays. I think him, I and [Raddysh], we enjoy playing with each other and we have some fun with it. It’s been fun so far.” 

For Guttman, he watched Johnson play with the Tampa Bay Lightning as he grew up and felt that the two share a similar style of play that allowed the pair create some chemistry. 

As he continues to play and train with Johnson and Raddysh, he feels comfortable learning from the two veteran forwards with their knowledge and experience in the league.   

“I really like playing with those guys,” Guttman said. “I can learn a lot from them. They been through a lot in this league and just trying to do what I can every day to get better and learn from those guys.”

Another person that Guttman surprised with his style of play included head coach Luke Richardson. For him, he didn’t know if the young forward could adjust to the speed of the NHL straight out of college but proved that he could handle the pressure. 

As preseason action continues to pick up, Richardson looks forward to watching Guttman and seeing if he can keep playing consistently to earn a potential roster spot for this upcoming season. 

“He looks like he’s fully recovered and feels great from his season-ending injury, last year,” Richardson said. “We like him, he’s a heads-up hockey player and he’s shown that he can play in the NHL. It’s just a matter of consistently doing that right now when there are spots available.”