CHN Daily
Jack’s Daily: Preseason Concludes; Big Night For Blackhawks Prospects; BATTLE of Florida
Preseason hockey has now wrapped up across the NHL, and the start of the 2025-26 regular season is only two days away! The Chicago Blackhawks will play in the opening game of the year on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena against the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers. The game is set for 4 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN.
In their preseason finale on Saturday, the Blackhawks had only a handful of NHLers in the lineup, leading to a forgettable 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues at the United Center. Fortunately, plenty of top prospects in the organization had strong showings to lift the mood.
Around the league, a true battle ensued between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Panthers in Florida, while the Minnesota Wild dished out another contract extension.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Blackhawks Trade Rumors, News & Tidbits
Chicago Hockey Now: With the Blues icing most of their projected NHL lineup on Saturday, the Blackhawks’ AHL-heavy roster didn’t stand much of a chance. Here’s everything of note from a 4-0 loss in the preseason finale.
On the bright side, Blackhawks’ 2025 No. 3 overall pick Anton Frondell had his best game in the SHL with Djurgarden on Saturday. Frondell became the second-youngest player in league history to record a hat trick in the team’s 5-3 win. What a weekend for Frondell!
More CHN: The 2025-26 college hockey season is underway! Here are four Blackhawks prospects who are playing for top teams in the NCAA.
Speaking of college hockey, there were loads of highlights from Blackhawks prospects on Saturday.
In his debut for Boston University, Sacha Boisvert scored his first goal with the Terriers and also tallied an assist in a 4-2 win over LIU. Boisvert centered BU’s top line and skated with Cole Eiserman and Ryder Ritchie.
Blackhawks 2025 first-round pick (No. 25 overall) Vaclav Nestrasil also made his debut for UMass, and he found the back of the net and recorded a team-high eight shots on goal. Nestrasil skated on the Minutemen’s third line with Jack Galanek, whom he played on a line with for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL last season. UMass won the game 5-3.
Goalie prospect Adam Gajan got the start in net for Minnesota-Duluth against Alaska-Fairbanks. Gajan stopped 14 of 15 shots faced to record the win for the Bulldogs.
Moving on to the OHL, Marek Vanacker and Nathan Behm continued their strong play to kick off their respective junior hockey campaigns. Vanacker and Behm both found the back of the net again on Saturday.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic: Could the Dallas Stars move out of city limits in the near future? The organization is at least pondering a few different options, including a site in Plano, Texas. The Mavericks are also reportedly considering multiple new locations for a basketball-specific arena.
NHLdotcom: After reaching a long-term deal with Kirill Kaprizov, the Minnesota Wild made another significant transaction on Saturday. The team announced that goaltender Filip Gustavsson signed a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2030-31 season. Gustavsson’s deal carries a $6.8 million cap hit.
Florida Hockey Now: Did the Panthers and Lightning forget it was still the preseason? There were 322 total penalty minutes recorded in the battle of Florida on Saturday night, and 16 players were ejected. George Richards broke down a chaotic conclusion to the preseason.
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