Chicago Blackhawks: Dan Carcillo Given 7-Game Suspension

We knew it was coming, but the real question was how big the suspension would be.

Brendon Shanahan announced on Thursday that Dan Carcillo would receive a seven-game suspension for his hit on Tom Gilbert.

When I saw the play live I figured it would be at least five games but it turns out I underestimated. They took into account Carcillo's past incidents as well as the injury to Gilbert.

This suspension will be Carcillo's third of the season. The first caused him to miss the first two games of the season, which was from an incident last season. His second came during October when he hit Joni Pitkanen, for which he received a two-game suspension.

Carcillo, who was also injured on the play, cannot serve his suspension until he is healthy and ready to return to play. What will be interesting to see is how long Carcillo will be out with his own injury.

No timetable has been issued for when we could see Carcillo back on the ice but listening to coach Joel Quenneville it could be a while.

The suspension will cost Carcillo over $66,000.

To replace Carcillo the Blackhawks signed rookie Andrew Shaw. Shaw was a fifth-round pick of the Hawks this past summer in the draft.

Shaw is very similar to Carcillo and isn't afraid to mix it up. At the Hawks prospect camp this summer he ended up dropping the gloves with Dylan Olsen, who was also called up to replace the injured Steve Montador.

Shaw, 5'10" and 180 pounds, will make his Hawks debut Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers as the Blackhawks return to the town they hoisted the cup in for the first time.

With the addition of Shaw, the injury and the suspension it might be a long time before we see Daniel Carcillo back on the ice for the Hawks.

Roster Moves: As I mentioned before Dylan Olsen was recalled from Rockford to replace Steve Montador who along with Marcus Kruger were placed on the IR.  Olsen was a first-round pick of the Hawks in 2009. While Shaw is expected to be in the lineup on Thursday it isn't clear if Olsen will get the same chance. Even wit Montador out coach Quenneville may just decide to go with some combo of John Scott, Sami Lepisto and Sean O'Donnell.