The Chicago Blackhawks have set their lineup for Tuesday as they open the 2025-26 NHL season against the Florida Panthers.
The Chicago Blackhawks and the rest of the National Hockey League will open the regular season on Tuesday, October 7. The first game of the 2025-26 season will feature the defending Stanley Cup Champions as the Florida Panthers host the Blackhawks at 4:00 p.m. CT.
Despite the awkward start time, hype for the start of the season is high. A few new faces grace the lineup, but a number of familiar faces return from 2024-25, and a step forward in development and results is expected from this group.
On Monday, the Blackhawks unveiled their lineup for Tuesday’s game. Per WGN Radio’s Charlie Roumeliotis, the forward lineup is as follows:
Ryan Donato – Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky
Teuvo Teravaninen – Frank Nazar – Tyler Bertuzzi
Colton Dach – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev
Nick Foligno – Ryan Greene – Sam Lafferty
Story continues below.
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On the defensive end, the pairings are:
Matt Grzelcyk – Sam Rinzel
Wyatt Kaiser – Artyom Levshunov
Ethan Del Mastro – Connor Murphy
Spencer Knight will start in net with Arvid Soderblom serving as the backup goalie. Lukas Reichel, Louis Crevier, and Alex Vlasic will all be scratched. Unfortunately, Vlasic is still recovering from a cut on his leg from a skate in the preseason. Landon Slaggert begins the season on the IR.
While things can change between now and puck drop, Monday’s lines definitely look like what we will see when the Blackhawks take the ice in Florida.
What to Make of This Group
Currently, the Blackhawks are top-heavy with many veterans under contract. But there is plenty of opportunity opening up for young players either during the season or next season. Mikheyev, Foligno, Dickinson, and Lafferty are all free agents up front. On the back end, Murphy and the ghost of Shea Weber’s contract will fall off the books as well.
“But Ron, that’s next season, not now?” You’re right. However, teams will need experienced veterans for a potential playoff push, meaning some of those names could easily be moved by the trade deadline. That will potentially open opportunities for players like Oliver Moore, Kevin Korchinski, Nick Lardis, and possibly Anton Frondell if his organization fails to make the playoffs in Sweden.
Regardless, the real excitement and growth for this team is experiencing the growth of players like Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov. They should provide plenty of hope and fireworks to keep fans engaged all season long. If they do not, then the rebuild is not as far along as fans would like.
Don’t Forget…
Don’t forget, this team is still full of talented players. Ryan Donato is coming off a 30-goal, 60-point season. Bedard posted back-to-back 60-point seasons as a teenager. Frank Nazar came on HOT at the end of last season, and Sam Rinzel played crazy minutes straight out of the NCAA and managed just fine. Add in Andre Burakovsky, a player with an average of 35 points over 63 games per season. A healthy season playing on the wing with Bedard or Nazar could push his numbers toward his career highs.
Is this team a Stanley Cup contender on paper? Absolutely not. However, this season’s iteration of the Kyle Davidson-built Blackhawks should be the most entertaining following a full teardown. It all begins Tuesday as the banged-up Florida Panthers raise their second consecutive Stanley Cup banner.