The Blackhawks placed Nylander (knee) on long-term injured reserve Tuesday.

Nylander is expected to be sidelined until at least April after undergoing knee surgery in late December, so this move was expected. The 22-year-old winger, who's totaled 13 goals and 32 points in 84 NHL games since entering the league as a teenager in 2016, will be a restricted free agent following the 2020-21 campaign. He won't have much leverage at the bargaining table, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Nylander settle for his standard qualifying offer ahead of the 2021-22 season.

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