Players to Watch: CHI vs MIN Preseason (10/7/21)

Photo by Gregory Shamus via Getty Images

The Chicago Blackhawks are back in preseason action tonight when they face off against the Minnesota Wild at 7pm CST. This is the second to last preseason game for the Blackhawks and there are some prospects still trying to earn a spot on the NHL roster. 

I won’t just be watching the rookies, though. There are a couple other guys I’m interested in as well. Here are your players to watch!

Colton Dach

Colton Dach isn’t going to make the NHL roster for the 2021-22 season, but he’s shown in his limited time here that he has real potential. He scored his first goal as a Blackhawk on Saturday against the Blues. He’ll be back in the lineup tonight and it’s one of his last chances to show the coaching staff how he measures up to NHL competition at this point in his development. 

MacKenzie Entwistle

MacKenzie Entwistle had a 2-goal outing on Monday night in Detroit. He and Brandon Hagel showed some real chemistry out on the ice. They’ll be on separate lines tonight, at least to start. He’s one of the bubble players looking to make a case for himself to be with the big club. There aren’t a lot of spaces open which may force him down to Rockford to start the year. If he is sent down to the AHL, strong play play tonight and possibly Saturday may put him in position to be the first call-up if the Blackhawks need a forward. He’s looked great so far. You can’t help but to be happy for him. 

Evan Barratt

Evan Barratt will be in Rockford this season, but he’s a Blackhawks prospect that many people are excited for. He played most of the 2020-21 season at center, occasionally shifting to wing. Tonight, he appears to be on the wing with Reese Johnson as his center. He’s got skill and isn’t afraid to battle for the puck. It’ll be good to see him against the lineup that is pretty NHL-heavy in Minnesota tonight. 

Jakub Galvas

Jakub Galvas is in the same position as MacKenzie Entwistle - except on defense. The coaching staff seems to be very impressed with the kid, and he doesn’t appear to be a liability when he’s on the ice. Stranger things have happened. But with the packed blue line in Chicago, be prepared for him to be sent to Rockford. He has tonight and maybe Saturday to make one last push for the NHL roster before the regular season starts. 

Kirby Dach

This will be Kirby Dach’s third preseason game. He’s got two assists so far. If the Blackhawks want to be good this year, they need Dach to get his name on the scoresheet as much as possible. When he came back from his broken wrist last season, he looked like one of the best players on the ice at times. Hopefully he can pick up a goal tonight. It’s only preseason, but his instinct is pass-first. He needs to start shooting the puck more. There’s no better time to work on that. 

Jake McCabe

Jake McCabe looked really good in his Blackhawks debut last Friday. On Monday, he and Seth Jones were turnover machines in Detroit. The defense really wasn’t great as a whole, but McCabe needs to clean up those messes so they don’t leak into the regular season. I’m confident he will. That has me very interested in him playing against the Wild tonight.