Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell skated for the first time since spraining his right knee in the preseason on Saturday.

Campbell was ruled out four to five weeks after hurting his knee in an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 1. His rehab has remained on schedule. Campbell had hoped to skate within three weeks of the injury. He will have to wear a knee brace when he returns.

"He skated [Saturday]," coach Joel Quenneville said before the Hawks' hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets. "He looked good. He'll get a couple of practices with us, and we'll get a better idea. He's not too far away."

A day after suffering the injury, Campbell said he strained his medial collateral ligament and his knee was hyperextended.

''I felt great [and] was playing quite a few minutes and felt good, in shape, ready to go. Kind of a fluke [injury]," he said. "It's pretty disappointing.''

Campbell was fortunate the injury wasn't worse.

''I got back to the bench and it was going away, so I was hoping I could make it back out there,'' he said. ''Nothing was torn -- that's four or six months. I'm going to do everything I can to be back as quick as I can.''