Blackhawks Announce Opening Night Roster, & Other News, Notes

Notably, Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro both made the roster. Announced earlier in the day was the Landon Slaggert news, as he cleared waivers and was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs. Keeping him around as a depth forward is huge for the Hawks. Dominic Toninato also cleared waivers, as he provides another depth option to Chicago barring injuries.

Lineup Changes

In addition to the roster news, Jeff Blashill made some notable changes to the lineup on Monday. Although the blue line is unchanged, the forward group looks different. On Monday, Roman Kantserov was skating as the top line center, flanked by Oliver Moore and Patrick Kane. The second line features Tyler Bertuzzi, Anton Frondell, and Andrew Mangiapane, while Frank Nazar mans the third line with Ryan Donato and Nick Lardis.

Although Jeff Blashill claims he hasn’t made an official decision on his 12 forwards for Tuesday, it appears Teuvo Teravainen is the odd man out. The Finnish forward may see limited action this season given the current dynamic of the lineup.

On Tuesday, the lines were the same in morning skate, effectively confirming that Teravainen will serve as the healthy scratch at forward.

Connor Bedard is Traveling

According to Blackhawks insiders, Connor Bedard is traveling with the team on the upcoming three-game road trip.

As noted by multiple reports, Bedard is far from practicing with the team. He still has a few things he needs to show before that happens. However, your captain being around the team to begin the season is a plus when its all said and done.

What’s On Tap Next?

The Blackhawks open against the Golden Knights as a part of ESPN’s triple header on opening day. As one of five games league-wide, the Blackhawks are the latest puck drop, with a 9:30 p.m. CT start on ESPN.