Connor Bedard 'feeling good' after Blackhawks practice as his return nears

Connor Bedard returned to Blackhawks practice Tuesday as a partial participant in a non-contact jersey, taking the next step in the recovery process.

"I'm feeling good," Bedard said. "Hopefully, pretty soon, I can get back out there."

Coach Jeff Blashill said Bedard won't play Wednesday against the Blues — the team against which he suffered his right shoulder injury Dec. 12 — but that the team will take things "day-by-day" beyond that.

That implies it's possible Bedard could return as soon as Friday against the Capitals or Saturday at the Predators, although that's certainly not guaranteed.

Before practice Monday, Bedard and fellow injured forward Frank Nazar — making his return to the ice for the first time since breaking his jaw Dec. 20 — skated together. Then Nazar left but Bedard stayed on for the start of official practice, taking part in what Blashill called the "flow-type drills" before exiting prior to the more physical drills.

Bedard began shooting pucks last Friday, and he looked uninhibited doing so Tuesday, ripping a bunch off posts and crossbars with his usual power, accuracy and quick release.

"I forgot how much I don't like practicing against him — he's a sick player," defenseman Alex Vlasic said. "But yeah, it's great to see him out there. He definitely brings a little bit more energy and excitement."

Bedard also commented on his exclusion from Team Canada's Olympics roster — adding he has been notified he's on the injury replacement standby list.

"Every player would...love to be on that team and [be] disappointed not to, but it's a great team," Bedard said. "You can’t really be mad at the roster they’ve picked. There are no hard feelings for me.

"The positive I’ve taken out of this is I get to look at my game and [think about], 'Where can I improve?' When you don’t meet an expectation or meet one of your goals, the only thing to do is look in the mirror and see where you can get better. That’s an exciting opportunity for me."

This story will be updated.