The Chicago Blackhawks acquired defenceman Kimmo Timonen from the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL draft and a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2016 draft.
Timonen has been dealing with bloodclot issues in his right calf and lungs since being diagnosed in the summer, and hasn’t played a game this season. However, after returning to practice earlier this month, it appears that he is now ready to return to the NHL.
The 39-year-old veteran defender is a key addition to the Blackhawks who have been plagued with injuries recently. On top of losing Patrick Kane for an extended period, the club just placed defenceman Johnny Oduya on injured reserve after he suffered an upper-body injury in Sunday’s game against the Boston Bruins.
Timonen had six goals and 35 points in 77 games with the Flyers last season. The Kuopio, Finland, native has 117 goals and 571 points in 1,092 games across throughout his 15-year career.
