Players to Watch: CHI vs STL Preseason (10/1/21)

Photo by Jeff Vinnick via Getty Images

The best month of the year has arrived, and the best sport around will be on the TV tonight. It doesn’t get much better than that. Well, the Blackhawks winning would make it absolutely ideal. They failed to do that Wednesday night in the preseason opener against the Detroit Red Wings. They held leads of 3-1 and 3-2 but fell in the shootout. 

The Blackhawks look to redeem their preseason selves tonight as they take on a Central Division rival in the St. Louis Blues. The puck drops at 7:30 pm local time. 

The big guns are taking the ice tonight, and the lineup features a lot of interesting names. So, of course, I’ve got your players to watch.

Lukas Reichel

Reichel played in Wednesday’s game but was on a line with Alex Nylander and Henrik Borgstrom. His linemates did not impress which led to his game being very easy to forget. Tonight, he’s projected to be on a line with Jonathan Toews and Brandon Hagel. Talk about an upgrade! Toews and Hagel both looked good on Wednesday night, so this could be a very fun line if they get going early. It should give Reichel some more time and space to show off his skill and speed.

Tyler Johnson

Tyler Johnson came over to the Blackhawks in a surprise trade this summer that sent Brent Seabrook (well, his contract) to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Johnson will be holding down the center position on a line with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. This line has the potential to put up a lot of points. But, they’re all on the smaller side. In today’s NHL, size doesn’t matter all that much. But it will be something to keep an eye on. I’m beyond curious to see how Johnson’s game will complement Kane and The Cat. 

Jake McCabe

Coming off of a knee surgery, all reports out of camp were that Jake McCabe’s mobility looked really good. If he is back to 100% he provides some much needed stability on the back end for Chicago. Like we’ve said before, practices and scrimmages are one thing. Now it’s time to see how his skating looks in game action. I’ve been a fan of McCabe for a few years now. I hope he makes a positive impact on the ice. That starts tonight. 

Seth Jones

The theme of tonight’s list seems to be new guys. Arguably the biggest transaction the Blackhawks made in the offseason brought Seth Jones to Chicago from the Columbus Blue Jackets. They believe that he will be their #1 defenseman for years to come. Or, I hope they do. Because they gave him a massive contract. We get to see him in game action for the Blackhawks for the first time tonight. Should be interesting. 

Marc-Andre Fleury

Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for . . . The Flower has arrived! Marc-Andre Fleury will be manning the crease for the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. That still sounds strange, doesn’t it? But, like, in a good way. There’s not much else to say here. We’re all excited to see how it goes.