The Chicago Blackhawks will host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night without star forward Connor Bedard, who suffered an upper-body injury. Nick Lardis is set to make his NHL debut after being recalled from the AHL. Both teams have released their projected lineups for the 8 p.m. ET matchup.
The Detroit Red Wings (17-12-3) visit the Chicago Blackhawks (13-12-6) in a Central Division clash at the United Center. The game airs at 8 p.m. ET on FDSNDET and CHSN. This preview comes after the Blackhawks' 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday, where Bedard sustained his injury late in the contest.
Chicago coach Jeff Blashill provided an update on Bedard, saying, “He’s undergoing further evaluation, so we’ll know more in the next couple of days.” The 19-year-old forward will miss the game, joining Nick Foligno (hand) on the injured list. To fill the void, the Blackhawks recalled forward Nick Lardis from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Saturday. Lardis is expected to make his NHL debut in the lineup.
The Blackhawks did not hold a morning skate following their recent loss. Their projected lineup features:
Forwards:
- Oliver Moore — Frank Nazar — Tyler Bertuzzi
- Nick Lardis — Ryan Greene — Andre Burakovsky
- Teuvo Teravainen — Jason Dickinson — Ilya Mikheyev
- Colton Dach — Ryan Donato — Dominic Toninato
Defense:
- Alex Vlasic — Louis Crevier
- Matt Grzelcyk — Artyom Levshunov
- Wyatt Kaiser — Connor Murphy
Goalies:
- Arvid Soderblom
- Spencer Knight
Scratched: Sam Lafferty.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings have one injury concern with Mason Appleton out (lower body). Their projected lineup includes:
Forwards:
- Emmitt Finnie — Dylan Larkin — Lucas Raymond
- Alex DeBrincat — Andrew Copp — Patrick Kane
- Elmer Soderblom — Nate Danielson — Marco Kasper
- James van Riemsdyk — J.T. Compher — Michael Rasmussen
Defense:
- Albert Johansson — Moritz Seider
- Ben Chiarot — Axel Sandin-Pellikka
- Erik Gustafsson — Travis Hamonic
Goalies:
- John Gibson
- Cam Talbot
Scratched: Jonathan Berggren, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Simon Edvinsson.
Both teams aim to build momentum in a competitive division, with the Blackhawks adjusting to key absences.