Roman Kantserov didn’t arrive in Chicago with much time to settle in, but the Blackhawks are already treating him like a player who can handle real responsibility.
From the first day of camp, he’s been in the mix on the top line with Patrick Kane, and the team has even shifted him around to see where he fits best. Now, with Connor Bedard out, Kantserov is opening the season in a spot that asks for more than just scoring touch.
He’s starting at center with Kane and Oliver Moore on the wings against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sept. 29.
That’s a lot for a 22-year-old making his first NHL season after coming over from the KHL. But everything the Blackhawks have seen so far suggests he’s ready for the challenge.
His KHL resume was enough to get attention on its own. Kantserov led the league in goals with 36 in 64 games, and that kind of finishing ability naturally jumps off the page. But head coach Jeff Blashill sees more than the numbers.
"I watched him a lot on tape, and I think on tape, he showed a real high hockey IQ. I really like his kind of efficient skill, simple skill.
Things like sauce passes ending up flat right on the tape, stuff like that, and then a really good release on his shot. So all those things kind of lead you to think, okay, he can produce offense.
Really, really good two-way player. I read somebody's article questioning his defense... like, he plays a 100 percent complete game today.
So that's a huge advantage for him because when guys come in and they're super high-skilled, but they don't play a 200-foot game, the coach's job is to train them to play a 200-foot game. And in that process, they usually struggle, to be honest with you.
"He doesn't need to be trained to play a 200-foot game. He already does.
So all those things kind of pointed to me, like he has a chance to come in here and be a real solid player. I would say the one question you have when you watch on tape is pace.
Not necessarily just skating, but just pace. And his pace seems really good.
It seems fine. So, what that means, I have no idea.
It's one day in training camp, but I think he's got a chance to be a real good player. I think he's got a lot of really good qualities that can help you win hockey games.
I think he's got offensive ability, but without cheating for offense, and those are the kind of guys you need to win."
The preseason only added to the sense that he can help right away. Kantserov put up two points in three games, and one of his goals came on the power play, another sign that his skill can translate when the Blackhawks are looking for a boost with the man advantage.
The bigger wrinkle has been his move to center. Blashill tried him there in the final preseason game against the St.
Louis Blues on Sept. 26, giving the staff a chance to see whether that role could stick down the road. Kantserov answered with a strong showing, winning 64% of his draws.
Blashill came away encouraged.
"I thought he did good, actually. I thought he played well in that spot.
I think Kantserov is just a really good player, and whether it's the wing or middle... what he showed me tonight is it doesn't really matter one way or the other, and that's what I thought when I watched him on tape. I don't think one of the two positions necessarily dictates the success he's going to have.
He's just such a smart hockey player that I think he can do either, and he's very accountable defensively."
Kantserov has only been in the building for a short time, but he doesn’t sound like someone overwhelmed by the shuffle. He sounds calm, aware of the opportunity in front of him, and ready to take it.
"It's interesting because, like (for) two games, I played winger. The last game of preseason, (I) played like center/forward, and yeah, maybe it was better for coach.
Maybe he saw something, but yeah, for me it's also great experience, and it's not like a pressure, but it's the biggest responsibility. I need to take this opportunity, you know."
For a Blackhawks team missing Bedard, that kind of poise matters. Kantserov has already earned trust from the coaching staff, and he’s done enough in camp and preseason to keep that confidence alive. Now the real test begins in Vegas.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Suddenly Have A Teuvo Tervinen Problem
Patrick Kanes return has given the Blackhawks a little extra buzz heading into this stretch, but it has also created a lineup squeeze that is hard to ignore. With Chicago trying to sort out where everyone fits, one of the more notable ripple effects is the way the forward group is being pushed into uncomfortable decisions, especially for a player like Teuvo Tervinen who has long been part of the conversation in this market.
The tension now is less about Kanes arrival than about who gets left out when the lineup is finalized. Tervinen has been in the middle of that uncertainty as the Blackhawks balance experience, roles and ice time, and it is the kind of roster call that can say plenty about where a team thinks it is headed. For a fan base that already knows what Kane brings, the more immediate question is how Chicago manages the pieces around him without creating a bigger problem elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Opener Raised An Early Question Fans Cant Ignore
The Blackhawks opened their 2026-27 season on the road at T-Mobile Arena against the Vegas Golden Knights, and the lineup looked every bit like a team still sorting out its identity. Chicago leaned on a mix of regulars and familiar names while also juggling scratches and special teams combinations, with the kind of early-season details that tend to matter more than the final score line in October. Even in a 5-2 loss, there were enough moments to show how this roster is trying to settle in.
Jordan Greenway gave Chicago its first goal of the season, and the Blackhawks also got a score from Patrick Kane in his first game back with the club since 2023, which at least gave the opener some energy before Vegas pulled away. The bigger question now is how quickly Chicago can turn those individual bright spots into something more stable, because the opener did not exactly hide the gaps in structure, discipline, or depth that can show up fast once the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Opener Gave Fans Hope And One Immediate Concern
The Blackhawks got a clear opening-night snapshot of where they are, and where they still need to go, in a 5-2 loss to Vegas. Chicago had the emotional boost of Patrick Kane scoring in his return to the lineup, and the veteran winger gave the crowd the kind of moment that can settle an early-season game, even as Jack Eichel paced the Golden Knights with a three-point night and Vegas controlled enough of the contest to leave with the win.
For Chicago, the bigger concern may have come from Andrew Mangiapane going down early in the second period. The injury immediately thinned a lineup that is already trying to find its footing on the road trip, and any absence from a new piece of the forward group changes the look of the first few games far more than one loss does. The opener offered a little optimism, but it also reminded the Blackhawks how quickly one setback can complicate the start they were hoping to build. [Read more 🡒]