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%.
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.
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.
Journeyman Derrick Pouliot will join his eighth different organization in eight years after he agreed to sign a one-year, two-way contract with Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The 30-year-old appeared in five games for Dallas in 2023-24 but has eight goals and 54 points in 226 career NHL games.
Ian Cole will begin his 15th NHL season with his ninth team after signing a one-year, $3.1 million deal with Utah on Monday. The 35-year-old defensemen completed 70+ games for a third straight season after putting up two goals, 11 points, and 61 PIMs in 78 games with Vancouver in 2023-24.
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).
Kane can reportedly earn an additional $2.5M in performance bonuses. After joining the Red Wings in mid-December, Kane posted 47 points (20G / 27A) and the Red Wings were 23-22-5 in 50 games. Kane bounced between the first and second line last year and could do the same in 2024-25, especially if the Red Wings add another winger in Free Agency on Monday.
Mangiapane had a breakout campaign in 2022, scoring 35 goals with 55 points, earning him a three-year contract with a $5.8M AAV cap-hit. He failed to find that same success in 2023 and 2024, combining for less goals (31) and 52 assists (83 points) in 157 games. Entering the final year of that deal, the Capitals are banking on another big contract year season from the 28-year-old winger.
