Quenneville: Blackhawks optimistically targeting Oct. 18 for Crawford's return

The Chicago Blackhawks could have Corey Crawford back in net before the end of the month.

Head coach Joel Quenneville said the Blackhawks are "optimistically" targeting Oct. 18 against the Arizona Coyotes as a possible return date for the club's star netminder, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. If this comes to fruition, Crawford would only miss the first five games of the season.

Crawford was limited to just 28 games last year due to a concussion. In the small sample size, though, he played some of the best hockey of his life, sporting a .929 save percentage, a 2.27 goals-against average, and two shutouts.

Quenneville added that Crawford looked "extremely good" and "sharp in all areas" during Tuesday's practice.

Anton Forsberg and offseason acquisition Cam Ward are expected to share the crease until Crawford returns.