Kaiser was absent from the first game of the season for the Blackhawks due to an illness but will likely be inserted back into the lineup shortly. The 22-year-old defenseman played 32 games with the Blackhawks last season, tallying seven points (0G / 7A), 46 blocks, and 22 hits.
Petr Mrazek struggled in the Blackhawks season-opening 5-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club, allowing four goals on 26 shots (.846 SV%). As such, the Blackhawks will turn to Soderblom for their second game of the the season, a tilt against the Winnipeg Jets, who steamrolled to a 6-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. The 25-year-old Soderblom appeared in 32 games last season (5-22-2), posting a pedestrian 3.92 GAA and .879 SV%.
Knight played 53 games for the Panthers between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons (28-17-6), posting a 2.95 GAA and .905 SV% but spent the entirety of last in the AHL. The 23-year-old Knight posted a 2.41 GAA and .905 SV% in 45 games with the Charlotte Checkers (25-14-5). He will likely see a more prominent NHL role this season, serving as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky.
Entering training camp, it seemed as if Nazar had a chance to make the Blackhawks roster after appearing in three games with them at the end of last season. He had a disappointing preseason, though, and will get his first taste of AHL action with Rockford to begin 2024-25.
After appearing in 76 NHL games a season ago, Korchinski had a disappointing training camp and will begin the 2024-25 season in Rockford. With Korchinski off the roster, look for Alex Vlasic to quarterback the Blackhawks' second power-play unit.
Vanacker was Chicago's 2024 1st round pick (27th overall) and signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday with the Blackhawks. The 18-year-old left-winger took a massive step forward in the OHL in 2023-24 with Brantford, collecting 36 goals and 82 points in 68 games played.
Crevier made his NHL debut in 2023-24 with Chicago, picking up three assists and a -16 plus/minus in 24 games played and has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract on Monday. The 23-year-old towering 6'8" defensemen was Chicago's 2020 7th round pick (188th overall) and will look to carve a full time role on Chicago's back end in 2024-25.
Levshunov went No.2 overall in this summer's NHL Draft after posting nine goals and 26 assists (35 points) in 38 games at Michigan State University. Levshunov was second among NCAA freshmen defensemen in points and was a Big-10 Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
Anderson has spent the last two seasons in Chicago and will return for two more after he signed a two-year contract extension worth $1.6 million ($800K AAV). The 26-year-old is in his seventh NHL season and had five goals, 17 points, eight PIMs and a +5 plus/minus in 55 games in 2023-24.
After eight seasons with Boston, Matt Grzelcyk will join Pittsburgh on a one-year deal worth $2,750,000 AAV. The 30-year-old defensemen appeared in 63 games in 2023-24 and had two goals, 13 points, and 37 PIMs while averaging 17:36 TOI/GP.
Chicago completed their goaltending tandem on Monday as Laurent Brossoit joined Petr Mrazek in the Blackhawks' goaltending room after signing a two-year deal worth $6.6 million ($3.3M AAV). The 31-year-old solidified himself as one of the NHL's best backups after an incredibly successful first season in Winnipeg, with his 15-5-2 record, 2.00 GAA, .927 SV% and three shutouts.
Lafferty will join his fourth team in the last three years as he signed a two-year deal worth $4.0 million ($2.0M AAV). with the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The 29-year-old centre spent one season in Vancouver in 2023-24, finishing with career highs in goals (13), points (24) PIMs (32) and games played (79).
Teravainen will return to Chicago, where he spent the first three seasons of his 11-year career after he agreed to a three-year deal worth $16.2 million ($5.4M AAV) on Monday. The 29-year-old left-winger surpassed his career high in goals in 2023-24 (25) and had 53 points, 142 SOG and a +15 plus/minus in 76 games played.
Bertuzzi had a very slow start in Toronto but finished the season with 43 points (21G / 22A) in 80 games. In Chicago, he'll be a candidate to skate with Connor Bedard and comes in with four career 20-plus goal and 20-plus assist seasons ('19, '20, '22, '24).
Mikheyev is heading into the third-year of a four-year deal that carries a $4.75M AAV cap-hit. As a part of the trade, the Canucks are retaining 15% of that remaining term. The 29-year-old winger is coming off of one of the most productions seasons of his career, he had 31 points (11G / 20A) while appearing in a career-high 78 games. He should fit into the Blackhawks' middle-6 in 2025.
Lafferty just finished a two-year deal, which he originally signed with the Blackhawks before being traded to Toronto and then to Vancouver. He is a pending UFA, so the Blackhawks have a small window to try and get him under contract before he hits the open market. The 29-year-old centre had career-highs in goals (13) and points (24) during the 2023-24 season.
Misiak was Chicago's 2023 second-round pick (55th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with an AAV of $878,333. The 19-year-old winger just finished his first OHL season with the Erie Otters and had 23 goals and 47 points in 60 games in his second season of North American hockey.
Lafferty has been a healthy scratch for the Canucks' previous two contests but will draw back into the lineup for Vasily Podkolzin for Game 7 on Monday vs. Edmonton. The 29-year-old is in his first season with Vancouver but has struggled in the playoffs with no points, six SOG and a -1 plus/minus in 10 games played.
