An already bad Chicago Blackhawks took yet another miserable turn on Sunday night when goaltender Corey Crawford was diagnosed with another concussion.

Crawford, 34, was forced to exit Sunday's game against the San Jose Sharks after a collision in the crease with teammate Dylan Strome. During a rush toward the end of the first period, Strome and two Sharks players crashed the net at the same time, and Strome was shoved into Crawford by San Jose's Evander Kane. After the initial impact, Crawford was thrown backward and hit the back of his head on the goalpost. 

Concern was immediately raised when the veteran goaltender remained on the ice and clutched at his head, and trainers would eventually help him off the ice. He didn't return.

It's always unsettling to see head trauma inflicted, but it's even more troubling in this instance considering Crawford's history. He suffered a concussion almost exactly one year ago (December 23, 2017) and attempted to play through it before the symptoms got worse and forced him to the sideline. 

Crawford missed the final 47 games of last season and continued to battle post-concussion symptoms for nearly 10 months until finally returning to the Blackhawks' starting lineup in mid-October. In 23 games this season, Crawford has a .902 save percentage and 3.28 GAA.

Head injuries are always unpredictable but it seems likely that the Blackhawks, who are the NHL's second-worst team to this point, will be dealt another disheartening blow as they're forced to play without Crawford for an extended period of time. And, at this point, it seems fair to not only wonder when Crawford might return to the ice, but if he'll come back at all.