The Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night in their fourth preseason game out of six. It will be the first of three home games at the United Center to close out the exhibition season for Chicago.
This is the second time that the Blackhawks will face Detroit, but this one will feature many more NHL-ready players on both sides.
Chicago's roster for this game will be as follows:
After another big roster trim on Monday, it is not surprising to see this roster filled with players who will be playing on opening night in Florida.
There are still a couple of battles taking place in camp, however. If Colton Dach has secured his spot on the team already, which is likely but not guaranteed, that means that Lukas Reichel, Oliver Moore, and Ryan Greene are the ones fighting for a final spot at forward.
Although Sam Lafferty is likely to make the team, he could be someone who is scratched often in favor of a young player who makes the team. He won't play in this game so others can get a chance to play.
Moore has been the most notable of the three, but Reichel has been good, and Greene wins a ton of face-offs, which has been a problem for the Blackhawks in recent years. Of the three, Greene and Moore will go in this one.
On defense, you know the five who are locks to play if healthy. There is also Louis Crevier, but he is almost a lock to make the team, so he doesn't have to be put on waivers. A team would almost certainly claim him.
In this game, Alex Vlasic will miss due to a lower-body injury. He is day-to-day and won't practice on Tuesday.
You'll see Ethan Del Mastro play and compete for the job. He can be sent down without the use of waivers. There is also Matt Grzelcyk, who is a veteran looking to make an NHL team out of camp. Nolan Allan, who played against the Wild on Sunday, is not in the lineup. He is the fourth guy competing for the final roster spot. Allan is also waiver exempt.
There are upsides and pros to keeping any one of these players on the team early in the year. By the end of the season, all of the young players will have at least played a few games.
In net, the Blackhawks are dressing Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom. In the regular season, Knight will be the starter and Soderblom the backup. We will wait to see how they handle their duties in this game vs Detroit.
Outside of a few more roster battles, as mentioned before, this is what the group will look like on opening night. Preseason NHL hockey is looking more and more like the real thing with each passing day.
How To Watch
Those looking for the game in the Chicago area can find it on CHSN. Out-of-market viewings can be found on ESPN+. The puck will drop at the United Center at 7:00 PM CT.
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