In about 26 hours from this writing, the Blackhawks will open the season against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. A final practice ahead of that initial road game was held down in Florida on Monday, with the biggest news of the day being one expected absence from lineup for Tuesday’s game.
That player is expected No. 1 defenseman Alex Vlasic, who was cut by a skate during the preseason and still needs enough time to heal that he’s going to be watching from the press box against the Panthers, according to coach Jeff Blashill.
Alex Vlasic isn’t expected to play tomorrow, Blashill said.
— Scott Powers (@scottpowers.bsky.social) October 6, 2025 at 1:16 PM
With Vlasic out, newly signed Matt Grzelcyk was skating opposite Sam Rinzel on Chicago’s de facto top pairing. Vlasic was skating with Louis Crevier, which suggests that Crevier won’t be playing in the season opener, either. Here were the rest of the lines, which look awfully similar to what was on the ice during the preseason games:
Blackhawks in practice Burakovsky-Bedard-Donato Bertuzzi-Nazar-Teräväinen Mikheyev-Dickinson-Dach Foligno-Greene-Lafferty Grzelcyk-Rinzel Kaiser-Levshunov Del Mastro-Murphy Vlasic-Crevier
— Scott Powers (@scottpowers.bsky.social) October 6, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Ryan Greene was called up from Rockford earlier on Monday and looks like he’ll get an initial run on the fourth line after Landon Slaggert was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
Alex Vlasic is on the ice. Ryan Greene was recalled with Landon Slaggert (lower body) going on IR.
— Scott Powers (@scottpowers.bsky.social) October 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM
The power-play units were also similar to what was on the ice for the last few weeks:
PP1 remains the way it's been: Bedard, Rinzel, Teravainen, Nazar, Bertuzzi
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 6, 2025
PK1: Dickinson, Mikheyev, Murphy, Del Mastro
A notable omission from the lineup is 2020 first-round pick Lukas Reichel, who remains the subject of consistent trade rumors and was reportedly rotating in on the fourth line during practice. Blashill was asked about the Reichel situation, too:
Jeff Blashill said he's talking with Lukas Reichel about what it takes to fit a bottom-6 role.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 6, 2025
"You to value the puck, you have to be very good defensively, you have to be more willing to chip it in at times and live another day. If there's plays to be made, make them."
I…
Just one more sleep between us and some Blackhawks hockey that counts. See everyone back here at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.