Michal Rozsival missed Tuesday's practice -- the Blackhawks' first actual practice of the regular season, which is one-eighth completed already -- with what coach Joel Quenneville called a "lower-body" injury. Rozsival, who wears a bulky knee brace on each leg, is "day to day," according to Quenneville, who expects him to return to the ice Wednesday at Minnesota.

Rozsival's injury explains why Sheldon Brookbank returned to the lineup for the last two games, at Columbus and home against Detroit. Rozsival had played the previous three games and looked sharp paired with Nick Leddy.

Brookbank, who started the season-opener at Los Angeles, was happy to be back on the ice.

"It's definitely good to get back out there, and start to feel a little more comfortable with the team on the ice," said the seventh-year pro, who spent the last four seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.

Rozsival and Brookbank were the only two new additions to the roster in the offseason, and they're competing for the sixth and final defensive spot freed up by Steve Montador's lingering concussion symptoms. Brookbank said he's not looking at Rozsival's injury as an opportunity to try to seize the role outright.

"I don't know, it's kind of why we have extra D-men there, for situations like this," Brookbank said. "I'm just going to do what I do and not think about it too much."