Projecting the Chicago Blackhawks' Opening Night Roster

We're now less than three weeks from the start of the NHL season. Teams are finalizing their rosters and signing their RFAs, and players are beginning their training camps and gearing up for pre-season action. The Chicago Blackhawks had a busy summer, trading for a number of big-name players to try and patch up their aging roster for one more run at the Stanley Cup. Captain Jonathan Toews missed the entirety of last season with a rare immune disorder but looks to be back in good health and is hoping to play on opening night. That is good news and should provide a boost to a Hawks team that had a great run through 35 games last season before falling off and missing the playoffs. With the return of Toews and the additions of a fair number of new players, let's see how the Blackhawks roster is shaping up:

Alex DeBrincat - Jonathan Toews - Patrick Kane

Dominik Kubalik - Tyler Johnson - Dylan Strome

Philipp Kurashev - Kirby Dach - Alex Nylander

Brandon Hagel - Jujhar Khaira - Ryan Carpenter

Adam Gaudette

Brett Connolly

Henrik Borgstrom

The Hawks have a solid lineup at forward, with homegrown talent taking up the majority of their key positions. It will benefit the team if players like Dach and Kurashev can take another step in their development, particularly if Dach can play himself into the top 6. In the meantime, the newly acquired Tyler Johnson is a strong choice for the 2C spot. The bottom 6 has some issues, namely the inconsistency of players like Nylander and Khaira. Khaira can be a good 4C at times, but the questions surrounding his ability to maintain that level of play, as well as those surrounding his concussion issues, aren't going away any time soon. As for Nylander, after missing all of last season following knee surgery, he'll get his chance to follow up his breakout season from '19-'20. His success will determine Strome's position going forward. Another good showing from Nylander could see Strome fall to the third line, a regression could see Ryan Carpenter bumped up.

On the blueline, new faces make for a much different Hawks' defence than we've been used to in recent years:

Calvin de Haan - Seth Jones

Jake McCabe - Connor Murphy

Caleb Jones - Ian Mitchell

Riley Stillman

Wyatt Kalynuk

Nicolas Beaudin

That top pairing brings with it some concern. Many attribute Seth Jones' success in Columbus to his partner, Zack Werenski, whereas Calvin de Haan has always played on the second pair behind the stalwart Duncan Kieth. Both now need to prove themselves capable of sustaining success on their own. The second pairing may be the most sturdy; bott McCabe and Murphy are solid NHL defenders. Then on the third pair, more questions. Ian Mitchell was forced into a bigger role than he was ready for last season, and Caleb Jones struggled to crack the lineup in Edmonton. Can both solidify themselves as NHLers this season? Or will younger players like Kalynuk and Stillman play well enough to force their way into the lineup? Expect a lot of these players to shift positions as the season goes on.

Meanwhile, goaltending may be the strongest position on the Hawks this season:

Marc-Andre Fleury

Kevin Lankinen

Malcolm Subban

The reigning Vezina Trophy winner coming in as Chicago's starter is an immediate improvement for them in net, which is saying something considering Kevin Lankinen had a good breakout year with the Hawks last season. That pair will make up a strong tandem, and should one go down with an injury, having Malcolm Subban as the third-string isn't a bad thing either. The three of them should be able to carry the load for the Blackhawks this season without the need for any premature callups.

What do you think of this roster for the Blackhawks, and what would you change?

Photo credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports