The Blackhawks are heading into their Oct. 1 matchup with the Utah Mammoth with a different look up front, and the most intriguing wrinkle is on the top line.
After a rough season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights, head coach Jeff Blashill is expected to make changes following practice on Sept. 30, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The new first line features Anton Frondell at center, flanked by Patrick Kane and Tyler Bertuzzi.
That trio makes sense as a response to what happened against Vegas. Chicago’s opening-night first line had Roman Kantserov in the middle with Oliver Moore and Kane on the wings, but the night never really settled into the Blackhawks’ favor. Andrew Mangiapane also left in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return, which left Chicago without him for the entire third period.
Even in a 5-2 loss, though, the Blackhawks were close enough to keep things alive at points. They were within one goal twice, including in the third period, which gives some context to why Blashill is reshuffling and why Kane’s postgame comments stand out.
Kane described the group as close to breaking through, saying, "I thought we had some looks. I mean, probably just like one play away here or there.
Different things like that. Try to get some pucks to the net.
I thought we had some chances. So even when I was out there with like Bert (Bertuzzi) and Frankie (Nazar) and those guys, or Frondy (Frondell), I thought we had some chances, some looks that maybe were just one play away.
"If it's, you know, getting used to the game speed or playing against a good team like that, sometimes you're a little off. So sometimes you kind of learn from like video and different things where you see time and space where there's time to make a play, get the puck to the net, whatever it might be. So, like I said, I think we're maybe like one play off here or there."
That’s the exact kind of lane the Blackhawks are hoping to open against Utah: more finish on the chances they’re already creating. The early sample on Kane, Frondell and Bertuzzi was small - just 2:43 together, per Natural Stat Trick - but it still showed some bite. They posted a 50% Corsi For percentage, with Kane’s third-period goal accounting for their goal-for and one goal against on the ledger.
Frondell’s presence matters too. He was one of Chicago’s better centers in the opener, winning 50% of his faceoffs, which gives the line a steadier base down the middle.
Frondell sounded ready for the opportunity when he spoke on Sept. 30, saying, "Same thing. Just looking forward to it.
I don't know [how many], but we got like a couple shifts yesterday because we lost Mango (Mangiapane). So, Kane jumped in with me and Bert sometimes, and it felt good, and we created a couple chances right away.
So just try to keep doing that tomorrow."
With Connor Bedard out of the lineup for now, the Blackhawks need offense from somewhere. A mix of Kane’s experience, Bertuzzi’s edge and Frondell’s effectiveness is at least a promising place to start.
And if the Utah game really does hinge on one play, Chicago will be hoping this new-look line is the one that makes it.
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Blackhawks Face Early Lineup Uncertainty Ahead Of Utah Test
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Teuvo Teravainen is expected to play, which at least gives Chicago a stabilizing presence as it sorts through the rest of the forward group. The bigger issue is that the Blackhawks are still waiting on some clarity before puck drop, and the opening-night setting in Salt Lake City adds a little extra pressure to get the details right. For a team still settling into the season, this is the sort of early test that can reveal more about the lineup than the practice sheet does. [Read more 🡒]
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The Blackhawks were back on the ice in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, trying to settle some things down before their game against the Utah Mammoth after opening the season with a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Head coach Jeff Blashill had to juggle his forward groups during practice, a reminder that the first few days of the schedule can still feel like roster maintenance as much as game prep.
Andrew Mangiapanes lower-body injury is what triggered the latest forward-line changes, and the early-season uncertainty does not stop there. Connor Bedard is with the team in Utah, but he has still not been cleared to practice with the club, leaving Chicago to navigate its next step without its captain fully back in the mix. As the Blackhawks sort out their top six, the rest of the division has its own news, with Colorado extending head coach Jared Bednar through the 2030-31 season. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Need A Fast Teuvo Teravainen Rebound For More Than One Reason
Teuvo Teravainen came back to Chicago in 2024 after eight productive seasons with Carolina, and the Blackhawks are still waiting for the version of him that made the reunion feel so promising. His most recent season was interrupted by injuries and a dip in production that cut into his ice time, which is a tough combination for a player whose value is tied so closely to his ability to drive offense and help set the tone for a young lineup.
A cleaner, faster Teravainen would matter in more than one way for the Blackhawks. It would give them a better chance to stay in the mix for a playoff push, and it would also make him a more attractive piece if the club decides his timeline does not line up with its own. Chicago does not need a reminder of how much a skilled winger can change its outlook, but it does need the rebound season that would keep this move from becoming a short-term bridge. [Read more 🡒]