Morning Bag Skate: Blackhawks season begins

The Chicago Blackhawks begin their quest for the team’s seventh Stanley Cup on Wednesday night when they host the St. Louis Blues at the United Center in Chicago.

HAWKS

**Top six must deliver early, often for Hawks (CSNC)

**Four X-factors that could determine how Hawks fare (Sun Times)

**Mashinter, McNeill clear waivers, assigned to AHL (SCH)

**Ice Cold Podcast: Season 2, Episode 1: Preview (SCH)

**Hawks projected depth chart for 2016-17 (SCH)

CENTRAL DIVISION

**Jake Allen will start for Blues vs. Hawks (STLGT)

**Wild claim Pulkkinen from Detroit (HW)

NHL

**SB Nation’s 2016-17 NHL season preview (SBN)

**Sabres lock down Ristolainen for six years, $32.4M (DBTB)

**Kucherov re-signs with Lightning on 3-year, $4.76M (RC)

**Flames sign Versteeg to 1-year deal (M&G)

**Sabres send Alex Nylander down to AHL (PHT)

**Kings give Setoguchi another NHL shot with 1-year deal (JFTC)

**Penguins claim Condon off waivers from Montreal (PHT)

**Waiver claims: Devils get Parenteau, ‘Canes get Dahlbeck, Leafs get Griffith (PHT)

**Gerbe refuses to report to AHL; contract will be terminated (BB)

**Sharks send first-rounders Mueller, Goldobin to AHL (FTF)

**Report: Strome, Crouse, Chychrun to break camp with Coyotes (theScore)

HOCKEY WORLD

**Champions League Round of 16 set (Champions League)