Bickell, who signed a four-year, $16 million contract in June, played much of the Hawks' run to the Stanley Cup with a thumb injury but it was shortly after the season the most damage was done — and it occurred right in front of team athletic trainer Mike Gapski.

"I picked up my hockey bag and it just popped," Bickell said. "Gapski was right there and he was like, 'Uh oh, this is not good.' I couldn't move my thumb. They had to take a tendon out of my finger to put in my thumb. I'm just recovering now."

And Michal Handzus is recovering from multiple procedures:

Veteran center Michal Handzus had two surgeries after the season and still was wearing a cast on his right wrist during the first day of the Blackhawks Convention at Hilton Chicago. Handzus also had surgery on his left knee.

"I'm healing," said Handzus, who signed a one-year deal earlier this month to return to the Hawks. "Right now, (with my) wrist I still can't do anything. It's in a cast for one more week. After four weeks I can start to do something. It's a little bit slower. My knee is pretty much rehabbing right now."

Continued with news about Patrick Sharp (who didn't need surgery for his shoulder)...