The Blackhawks are back at the United Center on Thursday night, and the task in front of them is a tough one: the Winnipeg Jets come in at 4-1-1 while Chicago sits at 2-5-0. It’s the third straight home game for the Blackhawks, who have opened the season 2-1 at home and now get a division opponent that has surprised just about everyone with its strong start.
What makes Winnipeg even more interesting is the situation around Connor Hellebuyck. The Jets are playing without their superstar goalie, who has requested a trade and is refusing to report.
He was respectful and private about it at first, but went public before training camp began. Even with that cloud hanging over the team, Winnipeg has powered out to a much better start than many expected.
Mark Scheifele, Cole Perfetti, and Kyle Connor remain the headliners, but the Jets have gotten help from elsewhere too.
One of the names worth watching is Viggo Björck. The 2026 NHL Draft’s 8th overall pick has six games under his belt and still doesn’t have an NHL point, but he’s on a second line with veterans and looks close to breaking through. Björck was also a player some viewed as an option for the Blackhawks at 4th overall before that pick was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in the Bowen Byram trade.
Winnipeg will also be without Josh Morrissey, who is not expected to play after missing the last couple of games. He’s dealing with a wrist issue and is considered week-to-week.
Chicago’s lineup will have its own changes. Bowen Byram is out with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, while Frank Nazar is back after serving a two-game suspension. That means the Blackhawks will finally have both Nazar and Connor Bedard in the lineup together for the first time.
Projected Chicago forward lines have Roman Kantserov, Bedard, and Patrick Kane on one unit, with Tyler Bertuzzi, Anton Frondell, and Teuvo Teravainen on another. Oliver Moore joins Nazar and Ryan Donato, while the fourth line stays intact with Nick Smith, Greene, and Ryan Greenway.
That setup leaves Dominic Toninato out of the lineup to make room for Nazar. It also keeps Bedard with Kane and Kantserov, the trio that produced at even strength and on the power play against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Frondell’s line gets another difficult assignment after seeing a lot of Sidney Crosby last time out, and now it’ll be Scheifele they have to handle. Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill is expected to try to get those matchups when he can.
On defense, Ethan Del Mastro is set to step in for Byram beside Artyom Levshunov on the top pair. The other pairs remain Vlasic with Cole and Kaiser with Rinzel.
Chicago is also sticking with a five-forward look on its top power-play unit, so no defenseman will take Byram’s spot there. Teravainen will quarterback that group after coming off his best game of the season.
In goal, Spencer Knight gets the nod again for his third straight start. That breaks from the usual Thursday rotation involving Arvid Soderblom, but the Blackhawks view Knight as their No. 1 when he’s rested enough to go.
Puck drop is shortly after 7:00 PM CT. The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN, seen locally on CHSN, and streamed nationally on ESPN+.
In Other News...
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Anton Frondell has quickly turned into one of the more interesting early-season stories around the Blackhawks, and not just because he has jumped out front among the teams rookies in points and assists. Working mainly as the second-line center, he has looked comfortable in a role that asks for far more than offense, handling faceoffs well and showing enough defensive awareness to stay on the ice in important moments.
Jeff Blashills willingness to lean on Frondell has been just as notable as the production itself, with the rookie earning steady ice time and even penalty kill duties. For a Chicago team always searching for young players who can be trusted in all situations, Frondell is already giving the organization a Calder storyline worth following, and he may be building toward something bigger if this start keeps holding up. [Read more 🡒]
Connor Bedard's Return Gave Blackhawks Fans A Reason To Believe
Connor Bedards return gave the Blackhawks a welcome lift on a night when they needed one, and the offense finally looked like it had some life in a 5-3 win over the Penguins. Roman Kantserov and Teuvo Teravainen each scored twice, giving Chicago the kind of finishing it has been searching for through the early part of the season, and the victory moved the club to 2-5-0.
Bedard also got on the board for the first time this season, a small but meaningful step after his return to the lineup. For a team still trying to steady itself, the combination of Bedards presence and a balanced scoring effort was enough to leave the building with something more than just two points. [Read more 🡒]