As the Chicago Bears open the 2026 season against the Carolina Panthers this afternoon, the Blackhawks will be wrapping up their final practice before the St. Louis Blues come to town for the first of two games on Monday evening.
While it's not an official game, Monday's prospect showcase vs. St. Louis will be the first taste of Blackhawks hockey this fall, and NHL training camps will soon follow. Football season is already in full gear, but hockey season has now arrived, too.
More in the links for the first look at the Blackhawks' forward lines and defensive pairings on Monday against the Blues, plus an intense first two days of practice during rookie camp.
Also in Blackhawks news, Daily Faceoff listed Sacha Boisvert as the team's top player to watch during the two-game showcase in Chicago.
Around the league, a potential lineup for the Blues during the prospect showcase in Chicago, the Montreal Canadiens added a former villain, and the Vegas Golden Knights signed their captain to a new contract.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Hockey Now: Rockford IceHogs head coach Jared Nightingale is in charge of the prospects this week at rookie camp, and he's wasted no time putting them through fast-paced and high-intensity drills. He also revealed the forward lines and defensive pairings the Blackhawks will use in the prospect showcase against St. Louis on Monday, which includes a physically formidable top line.
As for St. Louis, Lou Korac posted the forward lines and defensive pairings from their first practice ahead of Monday's prospect showcase. Former first-round picks Justin Carbonneau and Max Dagenais are listed in the top-six forward group, while defenseman Adam Jiricek is on the top pairing. Those are the three key Blues players to watch out for on Monday and Tuesday.
#stlblues prospect lines (9/12):
Kaskimaki-Stancl-Carbonneau
Pekarcik-Dagenais-Robertsson
Stevens-Trudeau-Susuev
Fitzgerald-McDonnell-Piercey
Ralph-Jiricek
Fischer-Koromyslov
Bogas-Burns/Kramer
* defensive pairings were mixing and matching but these ran a lot
Cranley
Proskurin— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) September 12, 2026
More CHN: Before the first game begins tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. CT, here's a full write-up on everything to know, including the top players and best storylines to watch, for the Blackhawks 2026 prospect showcase against St. Louis. The Hawks roster includes two recent first-round draft choices.
Daily Faceoff: Steven Ellis listed one prospect to watch on every NHL rookie tournament roster, and Sacha Boisvert was his inclusion for the Blackhawks. Ellis wrote that Boisvert is the most NHL-ready prospect on the Hawks showcase squad. Agreed.
The Athletic: From a few days ago, Corey Pronman went through 11 potential waiver-wire targets during preseason play this fall. One former Blackhawks first-round pick, who's no longer with the organization, was included on Pronman's list.
Montreal Hockey Now: Marc Dumont from MHN provided instant Montreal Canadiens analysis after the team signed veteran forward and former villain Chris Kreider to a one-year contract on Saturday. Kreider, 35, recorded 22 goals and 50 points in 72 games for the Anaheim Ducks last season.
NHL.com: The Vegas Golden Knights signed captain Mark Stone to a two-year contract extension on Sunday, with the deal running through the 2028-29 season. Stone is set to make $9 million per year on his new deal. He tallied 73 points (28G, 45A) in 60 regular-season games for Vegas in 2025-26.
ProHockeyRumors: Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli remains a restricted free agent as NHL training camp approaches. The latest news isn't too encouraging, either. According to Aaron Portzline, there has been little progress , if any, towards the two sides working out an extension. It's a mystery what disagreement remains between Columbus and arguably the team's top center.
Philly Hockey Now: William James offers a perfect lineup for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2026-27, where rookie forward and Calder Trophy favorite Porter Martone skates on the top line. Matvei Michkov , however, should not be his linemate, James says.
More NHL.com: Five-year NHL goaltender Connor Ingram has decided to hang up the skates, as he announced his retirement on Saturday. The Edmonton Oilers did not re-sign Ingram this summer after going 16-10-3 with a 2.60 goals-against average, .899 save percentage, and two shutouts in 2025-26.
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The post Jack's Daily: Blackhawks Showcase Lines; Blues Prep Work; Habs Add Kreider appeared first on Chicago Hockey Now .
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