Blackhawks Tough Training Camp Decisions Resolved, Regular Season Awaits

Blackhawks’ returning depth player Sam Lafferty made the team, but he could find himself as a 13^th or 14^th forward, depending on how some of the youngsters perform as the season progresses.

The Youngsters Who Made the Team

Speaking of the kids, there was never any doubt Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar were locks to make this team. Not only that, but they’ve been slated as the No. 1 and No. 2 centers, respectively, throughout training camp and to start the season. Let’s face it; these two are arguably the new faces of the franchise for years to come.

Depth forward Slaggert was also considered a lock. The 23-year-old suffered a lower body injury on Day 4 of camp, but was able to return on Wednesday, Sept. 1. He was immediately deployed right back where he had started, on a shutdown third line. Unfortunately, Slaggert left the final preseason game early on Saturday (Oct. 4). We don’t know if this is a new injury or not. As discussed above, Slaggart was placed on injured reserve on Monday (Oct. 6).

A feel-good story coming out of training camp was Colton Dach making the team. The 22-year-old has had injury issues in the past that have deterred him. But he’s healthy now and was a standout player at camp.

Dach will be tasked with being a big-bodied, physical power forward type for the team; an identity that really no one else has. He told me at the beginning of training camp,

I know what I need to do. I’ve known what I need to do the last two years. I just gotta come into this camp and execute it. I’m gonna have to be physical, gonna have to play hard, and have to give it all every chance I get and just prove to them that I belong.

Dach has done exactly that. In four preseason games, he registered 20 hits, seven shots on goal and four blocked shots. Oh, and then there’s the power forward goal he scored against the Detroit Red Wings on Sept. 30.

Meanwhile, despite trade rumors, Lukas Reichel is still a member of the Blackhawks. After four seasons with the club, the 17^th overall pick from the 2020 Draft has not lived up to expectations. He didn’t really do much to stand out in camp, and there are other young players that appear to be jumping over him in the depth chart. But the German native would have to clear waivers to be sent to Rockford. This makes him essentially a lock since the Blackhawks don’t want to lose him for nothing in return.

It turns out Reichel was actually one of the players who wore the “A” on his sweater (along with Lafferty and Slaggert) in the last preseason game, which featured mostly bubble players. While this probably doesn’t change the fact that the Blackhawks are attempting to trade him, it was a nice gesture for the organization to recognize Reichel as one of the senior members of the younger players. After all, he’s always been a good teammate and done what’s been asked of him to the best of his ability.

If you count the eight veteran players and the five younger players that were locks, that fills 13 spots. Meaning that the Blackhawks could very well recall one of the “bubble players” once they sort out their defensive situation a little bit better. Which leads to the next section.

The Bubble Players Who Were Sent to the IceHogs

The top two young forward candidates who did not make the team out of training camp are Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene. But we now know Greene was the first call up, before the season even started!

Moore, for his part, suited up for nine games at the end of last season, and impressed with his speed, as well as contributing four assists.  He had his ups and downs in the preseason, but a notable highlight was this game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues on Sept. 27.

By the way, we have another Dach special moment in this video!

Greene, on the other hand, was able to play in two games last season after his Boston University lost to Western Michigan in the NCAA championship. Greene is known more for his two-way game. He can also be a contributor on the penalty kill. Plus, in five preseason games Greene has won 39-of-74 faceoffs for a 53% success rate. That’s pretty impressive for a young center.

Moore and Greene both bring different skillsets to the table. It makes sense that Greene was the first call up, since his play is more comparable to what the team will be losing with Slaggert.

Who Will Be Bedard’s Linemates?

I didn’t want to spoil the fun up above, but Coach Blashill has been very consistent with his line combinations throughout training camp. This is a good sign; the players have been able to build some chemistry with each other, and hopefully can start the regular season on the right foot.

All through camp Bedard has been centering veterans Donato and Burakovsky.

It makes sense to start the season with this line; as Donato and Bedard have some clear chemistry together. When Coach Blashill discussed Burakovsky, he stressed that he was very smart offensively, and a good transporter of the puck up the ice. Obviously, the Blackhawks want to have Bedard in the offensive zone as much as possible, so he can utilize his elite talent to create plays and find the back of the net.

Time will tell whether this trio will find sustained success together.

Here’s the projected forward lines for opening night on Oct. 7. These were the combinations during practice on Monday (Oct. 6).

Donato – Bedard – Burakovsky

Teravainen – Nazar – Bertuzzi

Dach – Dickinson – Mikheyev

Foligno – Greene – Lafferty

Extras: Reichel, Slaggert (IR)

For this scenario, Dach moves up from the fourth line to the third, replacing Slaggert. While Greene is centering on the fourth line, moving Foligno to the wing.

How Will the Defense Pan Out?

Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser signed an extension with the Blackhawks on the eve of the first day of camp, a two-year contract with a $1.7 million annual cap hit. It was probably a little less than the blueliner wanted, but both sides were happy to get him in the fold.

Kaiser had an excellent camp, being paired with 19-year-old Artyom Levshunov. The two of them played together at the end of last season, and they seem to complement each other well. Kaiser gave some insight into why that is.

It’s one of those weird combinations. You don’t think it would work very well, but it does. I’d say we both make plays, but I tend to be defensive a little bit more. I like to be extremely responsible in the D-zone. Where Arty (Levshunov) I would say his strength is more offensive. He’s very creative, and he creates a lot of offense. Which kind of helps me get into the offense a little bit more. He creates a lot of scrap, and then I can help. If I’m there to make plays (offensively), I’m there to support. And then defensively, I’m there to support him a little bit. So I think we can both help (each other). He helps me in the D-zone. I help in the offensive zone. Our strengths are kind of different … we play off each other.

Kaiser says it very nicely, but we know he’s also there to clean things up when Levshunov isn’t as responsible defensively. But like he said, that gives the young Belarusian more freedom to make offensive plays.

Meanwhile, Sam Rinzel has picked up right where he left off from his nine-game stint at the end of last season. He’s led all defensemen in ice time and quarterbacked the top power play unit all during preseason. He’s such a smooth skater; he makes everything look easy.

Alex Vlasic was Rinzel’s partner on the top pairing, but unfortunately he was cut in the leg by a skate in the Blackhawks’ third preseason game on Sept. 28. The 24-year-isn’t expected to be out too long, and he did make the trip to Florida with the team.

Vlasic’s injury gave 31-year-old Matt Grzelcyk, who was playing on a professional tryout with the team, the opportunity he was looking for. He was moved up to play on the top pairing alongside Rinzel, and fared well there. Sure enough, the Blackhawks signed Grzelcyk to a one-year contract with a $1 million cap hit on Sunday (Oct. 5).

Kevin Korchinski and Nolan Allan were sent down to the IceHogs, as management seems to feel they still need some seasoning at the AHL level. The same can probably be said for Ethan Del Mastro, but he was kept up with the Blackhawks at least for the opening night roster. As soon as Vlasic is available to play, I suspect Del Mastro may be sent down to Rockford as well. Which is just another reason why it was smart to sign the veteran Grzelcyk, to give the younger defensemen more time to develop.

The final piece of the puzzle is 24-year-old Louis Crevier, who would have to clear waivers to be sent to the IceHogs. While Grzelcyk provides some insurance as a left-handed defenseman, Crevier does the same on the right side.

With all this said, here’s the defensive pairings I would expect on opening night if Vlasic is healthy.

Vlasic – Rinzel

Kaiser – Levshunov

Grzelcyk – Murphy

Extras: Crevier, Del Mastro

If Vlasic can’t play, then Grzelcyk would play in his spot on the top defensive pairing and Del Mastro would slot in next to Murphy.

Can Blashill & Company Start Off on the Right Foot?

Finally, a big question headed into training camp was what kind of impact the new coach and his staff would make. After all, it’s very important that Blashill and company get off on the right foot with the players. They need to earn the trust and respect of the players early on, so they can implement new thoughts and new systems. It will be key that they communicate well and build strong relationships.

So, how is this going? Well, Blashill and the staff showed they meant business on Day 1 of training camp, with a long and intense first practice. On the second day, after yet another long practice, the players were subjected to a rigorous conditioning stint. Afterwards, they were still gasping for breath in the locker room. But Blackhawks’ captain Foligno, the oldest one of the bunch mind you, said he loved it.

I think he’s (Blashill) just trying to make sure we understand we’re going to be a skating team, so we need to be in great shape. He’s got to be impressed with how well we did on that. Guys have shown that we’re here to play, and we’ve got the message, and we’re excited about playing like that, too.

My colleague, Brooke LoFurno, caught up with Bedard at training camp and asked him what he thought of Coach Blashill.

He commands the room well. Really easy guy to talk to though, like off the ice. But he’s gonna push us, and make it hard, and I think that’ll make us better.

It’s obvious this team is hungry to get better, and they’re ready to put in the work. They’re ready to embrace a new voice in the room that can help them get there.

Regarding new systems, I spoke with Dickinson about Blashill’s more aggressive approach on the penalty kill. Blashill indicated it might take the players some time to adjust. Dickinson expressed that he’s very happy the coaching staff wants his input, as someone on the ice who actually has to implement what’s being asked of him.  

It’s been nice because they (the coaching staff) share a lot of the same ideas. So, it’s refreshing to come with an idea for them and hear their spin, because I agree with a lot of what they say. They’re open. They want to hear what I feel and what I see. They obviously have their thoughts on how the whole team needs to play and everything, but then there’s situational situations  … there’s areas where we need to talk through and they like to hear what we’re feeling.  

It sounds like the lines of communication between players and coaches is open and strong, which should only help this team get better.

For Blashill’s part, literally every time at camp when the media asked him about a specific player, he started with, “I like him”, and then proceeded to explain the players strengths. Only then would he get into details of how a player could improve.

It’s encouraging that Blashill starts his assessment with something he likes about each player, and then he goes from there. It’s a great approach to building strong relationships.

It’s been a productive training camp where a lot of questions have been answered. Lineup decisions have been made, the players have embraced hard work and learning new systems, and the coaches have established a culture where good relationships can be built.

Now it’s time to carry this all into the regular season. The Blackhawks will face the Florida Panthers for their first regular season game on Tuesday (Oct. 7). Coincidentally, it’s also the first NHL contest of the 2025-26 season. From there, the Hawks will head to Boston to face the Bruins on Thursday (Oct. 9), before their home-opener on Saturday (Oct. 11) versus the Montreal Canadiens.

Can this Blackhawks’ squad take things to the next level this season? Time will tell, but it appears they’re off to a good start.