For many NHL teams, the preseason is a chance to mix and match their personnel to see what works best. After all, it’s often a team’s first chance to see its new personnel in action, and certain tandems will have more chemistry than others.
The Blackhawks’ training camp and preseason have been no different. Chicago has moved its lines around plenty throughout the past few weeks, especially on the offensive end. The team hasn’t had a ton of offensive success this preseason, but recent games have seemingly solidified their top few lines.
When the Blackhawks entered September, nothing was set in stone, and it still isn’t. However, with the pieces working in Chicago’s lineup Saturday night, things might be settling down. A potential second line was formed when Taylor Hall and Philipp Kurashev spent most of their time on the ice together. In the 11:55 the tandem spent on the ice at even strength, the Blackhawks outshot the Blues 9-1. That’s a great stat, but it’s even more notable when you see that St. Louis outshot Chicago 35-23 overall. The Blackhawks scored twice that night, and Hall came away with two assists while Kurashev logged a goal and a helper.
With Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi likely locked into Chicago’s top line, the other spot was up for grabs between Kurashev and Teuvo Teravainen. Not only did Kurashev look better next to Hall, but Teravainen has also been terrific next to the face of the team. Bertuzzi–Bedard–Teravainen has been a combination that was talked about plenty over the summer, and that possibility becomes more of a reality every day.
So there’s five of the top six essentially locked into their spots. Newcomer Ilya Mikheyev spent most of the game on the successful line including Hall and Kurashev Saturday, but he likely won’t stick there. Nick Foligno and Jason Dickinson haven’t yet appeared in a preseason game, but they’ve worked almost exclusively in camp next to Mikheyev on the third line. The trip has looked really good, and it doesn’t seem like the Blackhawks would switch things up at this point.
With the jumbled mess that is the Blackhawks’ uncertain fourth line, that leaves one spot in the top nine. At this point, I don’t see anyone taking that job from Lukas Reichel. Chicago still has high hopes for the 22-year-old who disappointed last year, and putting him next to a Hart Trophy winner wouldn’t be a bad idea for the same reasons Reichel was next to Bedard last year. Plus, assuming the third line is locked in for the season, who else would the Blackhawks go to?
If the Blackhawks stick with the groups that have been having so much success throughout training camp and the preseason, here’s what that offensive unit could look like:
Tyler Bertuzzi – Connor Bedard – Teuvo Teravainen
Taylor Hall – Philipp Kurashev – Lukas Reichel
Nick Foligno – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev
Some combination of Andreas Athanasiou, Ryan Donato, Pat Maroon, Craig Smith, or Joey Anderson
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