Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford said Wednesday the club will wait until after their morning skate on Thursday to make it official, but the plan is for him to start against the Arizona Coyotes.

Crawford last played on Dec. 23, 2017, when he was pulled in the first period after allowing three goals on seven shots against the New Jersey Devils. It was later revealed that he had sustained a head injury and said in September he was still dealing with concussion symptoms.

The 33-year-old had a 16-9-2 record with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in 28 games last season.

Crawford added that it will be his decision on Thursday as to whether he's ready to return or not. 

"He looks good in the net. He’s been off for a long, long time — is there rust? Do we expect rust? I think the way he’s competing and practicing and finding pucks, he looks like he hasn’t missed a beat," Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said, per Mark Lazerus of The Athletic.

The Blackhawks, who posted a 17-30-8 record without Crawford in net last season, are off to a 3-0-2 start this season with Cam Ward starting all five of the team's games.

Ward has an .879 save percentage this season with a 4.07 goals-against average.