The Chicago Blackhawks have placed defenseman Steve Montador on the injured reserve list in anticipation of Friday night's game against the San Jose Sharks. Montador has been averaging nearly 15 minutes on the ice per game, meaning the Blackhawks defense will have a pretty large whole to fill in his absence.

In a corresponding move, the team also called up D Dylan Olsen, who played two games with the team in early January. Olsen has played in 44 games for the Rockford Ice Hogs in the 2011-12 season, owning a -5 +/- and 4 goals in 53 shots.

The Blackhawks are currently sloughing through a six-game losing stream, but now must do without the 32-year-old Montador for at least 7 games as he recovers from his upper body injury sustained last Tuesday.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, visit Blackhawks blog Second City Hockey and Sharks blog Fear The Fin. For more from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NHL news hub.