The Blackhawks’ first road trip of the season has already turned into a moving target, and Wednesday in Salt Lake City brought another round of lineup shuffling.
Jeff Blashill went back to the board again at practice after his opening-night forward combinations struggled early in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Andrew Mangiapane’s lower-body injury only added to the churn, forcing the coach to adjust his group once more before Game 2 against the Utah Mammoth.
That means the latest forward lines are expected to be the ones Chicago rolls with in Utah, at least for now. After one game, the Blackhawks are still searching for something that looks settled.
Tuesday’s opener offered a blunt reminder of how quickly things can go sideways. Chicago made costly mistakes in key moments and never really matched Vegas’ pace or edge, leaving the Blackhawks looking a lot like last year’s team in a 5-2 defeat. The new season was supposed to bring a cleaner start, but the first night out didn’t deliver that.
There was more than one reason for the rough showing. Blashill’s new line combinations didn’t click, Bowen Byram’s debut was quiet, and Mangiapane’s injury created yet another hole to patch. The fourth line from the opener also drew attention as part of a night that didn’t go smoothly for Chicago.
Connor Bedard, meanwhile, is still with the team in Utah but has not been cleared to practice. GM Kyle Davidson said Tuesday that Bedard’s recovery timeline has not changed.
Bedard also popped up off the ice this week, with his guest appearance on the “What Chaos Show” airing Wednesday. It marked the second time he’s been on the show with Pete Blackburn and DJ Bean.
Elsewhere in Blackhawks circles, the season is already sparking bigger-picture questions. The bold predictions are out there now too: Patrick Kane’s point total, whether Anton Frondell or Roman Kantserov finishes higher in Calder Trophy voting, when Bedard will make his season debut, and whether Chicago can get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Around the league, Jared Bednar and the Colorado Avalanche agreed to a four-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2030-31 season. The deal was announced ahead of Colorado’s 2026-27 season opener on Wednesday.
Nathan MacKinnon wasted no time making a statement in his own opener, scoring twice and fighting Brandt Clarke in Colorado’s 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins also made a loud entrance, hammering the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 on opening night. On the other side, the Flyers were left to sort through a miserable result.
Detroit’s ongoing situation with Simon Edvinsson remains messy. The restricted free agent attended camp on his own, still unsigned, and has now gone back to Sweden to train. PuckPedia noted that the unusual setup could open the door for another team to sign him to an offer sheet.
Daily Faceoff’s Calder Trophy list for 2026-27 includes Roman Kantserov and Anton Frondell in the top 10, with Kantserov ranked ahead of Frondell.
And after helping beat the Blackhawks on Tuesday, the Golden Knights handed William Karlsson a two-year, $13.5 million extension. Karlsson, “Wild Bill,” sits second in franchise history in both goals and points.
Vegas also locked up backup netminder Casey DeSmith on a two-year, $5 million extension that runs through 2028-29. DeSmith posted a 15-8-6 record with a 2.43 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and one shutout in 2025-26.
In Dallas, Matt Duchene was placed on injured reserve to begin the regular season after a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury suffered at the start of training camp.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Need More From Their Offense And Kane May Be Central
The Blackhawks are looking for a jolt after their season-opening loss to Vegas, and the top of the lineup is getting a fresh look for the next stop against Utah. The previous first line did not generate enough, and with Andrew Mangiapane sidelined by a lower-body injury, the staff has been forced to reshuffle the forwards in search of more balance and a little more punch.
Patrick Kane now appears set to be part of that answer, skating alongside Anton Frondell and Tyler Bertuzzi in a combination that showed some encouraging signs in limited time together. Frondell and Kane have both spoken positively about their early shifts, and for a team trying to steady its attack early in the season, how quickly that line clicks could matter a lot. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Face Early Lineup Uncertainty Ahead Of Utah Test
The Blackhawks head into their second game of the regular season with a bit of lineup uncertainty, but one familiar name appears set to be back in the mix. Chicago is getting ready to face the Utah Mammoth in Utahs home opener, and recent practice looks to have given a clearer picture of how the Hawks might line up after the opening night sweep of questions that often comes with an early-season road trip. Arvid Soderblom is projected to start in goal for Chicago, while Karel Vejmelka is expected to get the call for Utah.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]