What I’m watching: Blackhawks lineup projection, Chicago Sports Network channel launch

The Chicago Sports Network launch appeared to go smoothly on Tuesday. The network hired professionals for the talent. The sets looked modern. There didn’t seem to be any significant problems. It was a great debut in every way.

But how many people actually saw it? If you were in the Chicago market, the only way to watch the channel was to use an antenna, watch on DirectTV or Astound, use a VPN on ESPN+, or find an illegal stream. CHSN has not yet signed any deals with Comcast, Hulu or YouTube TV.

Comcast is the big fish. CHSN is expected to reach an agreement with Comcast at some point, but it is unknown at what tier the channel will appear and how quickly. Tuesday was the first day for the network, but the first regular season game on the network isn’t until October 11th. This is the actual deadline for CHSN. If the network fails to do this, its launch will be a major disaster. The direct sales option will also be important, but the urgency there is not as great.

Will you be watching the Blackhawks game on CHSN tonight?

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) October 1, 2024

Now let’s move on to ice hockey. With four preseason games remaining and two games remaining, here is what the lineup appears to be:

Top line

Richardson tried out different players with Connor Bedard throughout camp. Bedard has seen time with Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, Phillip Kurashev and Teuvo Teräväinen. Kurashev and Bertuzzi started Tuesday’s game with Bedard, but Kurashev and Hall finished it with him. Bedard will undoubtedly play with a number of players this season, but Richardson needs to give him and a consistent lineup some time to work together and develop chemistry. It probably makes most sense to start with Teräväinen, Bedard and Bertuzzi.

Second line

Ilya Mikheyev, Kurashev and Hall shared some of the Blackhawks’ best performances of the preseason during Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. Richardson seems to like Mikheyev with Jason Dickinson and Nick Foligno, and that line was the Blackhawks’ best line in Tuesday’s game. If Richardson went that direction with Kurashev and Hall, Lukas Reichel is probably the most logical third play. The question is whether Reichel is ready for this. He’s had a difficult preseason so far. With him on the ice in five-on-five play, opponents had a 44-11 advantage in shot attempts. He also didn’t attempt a single shot at five-on-five.

Third line

Let’s call Dickinson’s line the third line. Dickinson and Foligno will get along with almost anyone they play with. Mikheyev brings speed and some offensive advantages to the line. What Richardson needs to think about is whether it would make more sense to move Mikheyev up the lineup because he adds more there and Dickinson’s line will likely still be successful with another winger. Joey Anderson fit well with Dickinson and Foligno last season.

Fourth line

Craig Smith appears to have done more than enough to earn a spot in the lineup. He’s also likely someone who will be high up in the lineup simply because of his shoot-first mentality. So who is playing with him? Andreas Athanasiou and Pat Maroon were probably the favorites in the previous season. Have they done enough to stay there? Both spent the majority of their time in the defensive zone. With Athanasiou on the ice, opponents had a 34-13 advantage in shot attempts. For Maroon, opponents’ shot attempts were 27-17 and goals scored were 3-0. Ryan Donato played well in the first game. One would think that he would come into play on Friday. Anderson had a solid first game and wasn’t as good in the second game. He will probably play on Friday too.

Top defensive pairing

Richardson expressed interest in parting ways with Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic. We’ll see if he comes through. Vlasic played with Jones, TJ Brodie and Kevin Korchinski in the preseason. Vlasic will likely end up with Jones or Brodie.

Second defensive pairing

With Jones and Vlasic together, Richardson can go many different ways. Brodie and Alec Martinez could be a couple. Depending on how soon Wyatt Kaiser returns, he could be with Brodie or Connor Murphy. Martinez could also be with Murphy. At this point, I’m assuming Korchinski will end up in AHL Rockford to start the season. If the Blackhawks believe this is what’s best for his development, they shouldn’t delay it even if Kaiser isn’t cleared to play the opener. There are enough young defensemen who could earn a gig in the NHL by the time Kaiser is ready to go. Korchinski had a difficult game on Tuesday, with two of his turnovers leading to Minnesota Wild goals.

Third defensive pair

Kaiser’s status likely determines the second and third pairings. Isaak Phillips and Louis Crevier both played in three pre-season games and produced mixed performances. Nolan Allan might be the safest choice. If Kaiser is unable to play in the starting lineup, two of these players could make the team out of camp.

goalkeeper

Petr Mrázek cut a good figure in the preseason. He would still be the No. 1 goalie. Arvid Söderblom will likely beat Drew Commesso for second place until Lauren Brossoit is free. Söderblom played well in his pre-season. Tuesday’s seven goals weren’t largely Commesso’s fault, but he had to turn heads to overtake Söderblom in the NHL rankings.

(Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)