The Blackhawks are back at the United Center on Monday night for the first time since April, and there’s a good chance this one looks a lot more like an NHL lineup than the preseason opener did.
Chicago dropped Saturday’s first meeting with Minnesota, 3-2 in overtime, but the second game of the two-game exhibition set could bring a very different feel. Head coach Jeff Blashill suggested after Sunday’s practice that several of the regulars on the NHL camp roster might make their preseason debut on home ice. The final answer won’t come until the morning skate, but the setup points to a much more revealing look at where this group stands.
Saturday’s game was built around a heavier AHL presence, with only a handful of players from the NHL side of camp in the lineup. Even so, Kevin Korchinski made a loud case for more responsibility.
He finished with a primary assist, drew a penalty, and was on the ice for both Blackhawks goals. Landon Slaggert, Ethan Del Mastro, and Arvid Soderblom also stood out in the loss.
Korchinski’s performance drew extra attention from Wally Mazurek, who posted a highlight reel of the 2022 first-round pick’s best moments, and the defenseman also logged the team’s second-highest 5v5 xG share in the game.
Korchinski’s status for Monday is still to be determined, but Sunday’s practice did bring a few other important developments. Chicago announced its first round of training-camp roster cuts, sending Ryan Roobroeck and two other OHL prospects back to their junior teams. That leaves the camp roster at 47 players.
The Blackhawks also got into something new on the ice: 3-on-3 overtime work for the first time in camp. The groupings were interesting.
Roman Kantserov, Patrick Kane, and Bowen Byram skated together. Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar were with Alex Vlasic, while Anton Frondell and Nick Lardis worked with Wyatt Kaiser.
That overtime work matters because Chicago has to get better in those situations if it wants to make a real jump in the standings. The Blackhawks went 7-14 in games that went beyond 60 minutes in 2025-26.
Kane and Kantserov have been linked throughout camp, and Sunday’s scrimmage gave the pair another chance to show chemistry. They’ve been together in 5v5 line drills, on the power play, and now in 3-on-3 settings, and they connected on a goal during the scrimmage.
As Charlie Roumeliotis posted: Patrick Kane scores his second goal of the scrimmage. Nice pass from Roman Kantserov.
#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/bctTdDw7eh
Mark Lazerus also wrote about how Kane is fitting in with the Blackhawks’ younger core. Teammates, according to that column, aren’t treating him like some untouchable figure. They’re excited about what he brings in terms of experience and leadership, but he’s also just part of the group.
Elsewhere around the league, the Tkachuk brothers made plenty of noise in Florida’s 6-3 preseason win over Carolina. Matthew fed Brady for the Panthers’ first preseason goal, Brady scored again later and then fought, and the whole night had the kind of edge you’d expect from them.
In Seattle, Shane Wright’s future remains unsettled. The Seattle Times reported that Wright and his agent again pushed for a trade before training camp, but the Kraken did not move him. Kate Shefte also examined whether Seattle is drifting toward a rebuild.
Other preseason notes included San Jose’s Sam Dickinson spending the first three days of Sharks camp beside Jacob Trouba and sharing what he’s learned from him, Boston opening its preseason with a 3-2 shootout win over Washington, and 2026 No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna making his preseason debut for Toronto. McKenna didn’t record a point, but he looked the part on a top line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Just Started A Camp Trim That Says Plenty About Their Prospects
After a busy Rookie Camp and Prospect Showcase, the Blackhawks have already begun trimming the edges of their training camp roster. Ryan Roobroeck, Parker Holmes, and Ty Henry all got a look in the teams recent prospect events before being sent back to their Ontario Hockey League clubs for the 2026-27 season, a reminder of where each young player stands in his development and how quickly the path narrows once camp turns serious.
Chicagos camp group is now down to 47 players, and theres likely more movement ahead as the preseason schedule continues to tighten the competition. Another round of cuts could come after Mondays preseason game against Minnesota, which should give the Blackhawks another chance to separate the hopefuls from the players who are starting to look ready for the next step. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Defense Battle Is Putting Real Pressure On Ethan Del Mastro
Training camp has turned the Blackhawks blue line into one of the more interesting battles on the roster, and Ethan Del Mastro is right in the middle of it. Chicago has eight defensemen who can make an NHL case for themselves, but only six openings in the lineup, which makes every preseason shift matter a little more than usual. Del Mastro helped himself in the first preseason game, and the organization has already shown faith in him by extending his contract, so this is no longer just about making an impression. It is about forcing his way into a real role.
For Del Mastro, the path forward is tied to the details that can separate an NHL regular from a depth option. He has been working on his skating and defensive mobility to make himself harder to play against, and those improvements could be what keeps him in the conversation as camp tightens. The Blackhawks like the potential enough to keep testing him, but with the numbers game already crowding the defense, every practice and exhibition game is adding pressure to prove he belongs. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Cut Leaves Veteran Defenseman In Roster Limbo
The Blackhawks latest training camp cuts have pushed Derrick Pouliot into roster limbo, with the veteran defenseman now waiting to see where he lands after being moved out of the NHL picture. Pouliots arrival in the organization gave Chicago another experienced blue-line option, and his game has still shown enough offensive touch to matter, even as his scoring rate has trended downward in recent seasons.
For now, the next stop appears to be Rockford, where Pouliot is expected to play a major defensive role for the IceHogs in the 2026-27 season. It is a familiar kind of pivot for a player at this stage of his career, one who can still help an organization depth-wise even as the path back to Chicago becomes less certain. [Read more 🡒]