Blackhawks' Cody Franson: Out for precautionary reasons

Franson (upper body) will not be in Thursday's lineup against the Stars despite being cleared for action, Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

With Jordan Oesterle excelling on the Hawks' blue line in Franson's absence, head coach Joel Quenneville decided to give the veteran some additional time to get back to speed before returning to game action. Now healthy, Franson will become another member of Chicago's defensive stable that's competing for minutes again. Both Franson and Oesterle are capable of playing on the right side and contributing on the power play, so they'll likely be in direct competition with one another for a spot in the lineup.