United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
TV: CHSN (Blackhawks), STLNHL / Blue Note+ (Blues), ESPN+ (out-of-market)
The Central Division rivals meet for the first of four times this season in Chicago’s home opener. Patrick Kane makes his highly anticipated return to the United Center in a Blackhawks sweater for the first regular-season home game since rejoining the club.
Projected Lineups / Current Rosters
St. Louis Blues (projected; Joel Hofer expected to start):
Forwards: Dylan Holloway – Robert Thomas – Jimmy Snuggerud; Pavel Buchnevich – Mason McTavish – Connor McMichael; Jake Neighbours – Dalibor Dvorsky – Jonatan Berggren; Ross Johnston – Pius Suter – Dillon Dube
Defense: Philip Broberg – Colton Parayko; Cam Fowler – Adam Jiricek; Theo Lindstein – Brandon Carlo
Goalies: Joel Hofer (starter), Jordan Binnington
Scratched (projected): Zach Dean, Justin Barron
Chicago Blackhawks (projected; Spencer Knight expected to start):
Forwards: Roman Kantserov – Frank Nazar – Patrick Kane; Tyler Bertuzzi – Anton Frondell – Teuvo Teravainen; Ryan Donato – Oliver Moore – Nick Lardis; Cole Smith – Ryan Greene – Jordan Greenway
Defense: Bowen Byram – Artyom Levshunov; Alex Vlasic – Ian Cole; Wyatt Kaiser – Sam Rinzel
Goalies: Spencer Knight (starter), Arvid Soderblom
Scratched (projected): Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro
Note: Bowen Byram returns after missing Saturday’s game for a family matter (birth of twin daughters). Sam Rinzel draws back in after a scratch.
Injury Reports
Blues: Logan Mailloux (D, hand, out long-term after surgery); Tyler Tucker (D, knee, out); Alexey Toropchenko (RW, upper body, IR, out at least several weeks).
Blackhawks: Connor Bedard (C, shoulder, out until roughly early November); Andrew Mangiapane (LW, lower body, out).
Recent Team Forms
Blues: Opened with a 4-0 shutout road win at Dallas (Joel Hofer strong), then a 6-1 road loss at Colorado. Split the opening back-to-back. New additions Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael providing secondary scoring; Dalibor Dvorsky has early goals. Special teams mixed but PK perfect in limited early action.
Blackhawks: 0-3-0 start with losses at Vegas (5-2), at Utah (6-0), and at Buffalo (4-3). Struggling offensively without Bedard and allowing goals at a high rate. Patrick Kane has one point through three games; Frank Nazar centering the top line with Kane and Roman Kantserov. Home opener energy and Kane’s return are key storylines.
Series History
St. Louis holds a recent edge, going 2-2-0 against Chicago last season and 7-2-0 in their last nine meetings overall. The Blues have scored at least three goals in many recent matchups against the Blackhawks. Games are often competitive Central Division affairs with physical play. No current-season meetings yet.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Robert Thomas / Dylan Holloway / Jimmy Snuggerud top line vs. Frank Nazar / Patrick Kane / Roman Kantserov: Blues’ playmaking core against Kane’s homecoming line.
Mason McTavish / Pavel Buchnevich / Connor McMichael vs. Tyler Bertuzzi / Anton Frondell: Secondary scoring and two-way play matchup.
Colton Parayko / Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler vs. Bowen Byram / Artyom Levshunov and Alex Vlasic: Strong defensive pairings; Byram’s return adds mobility for Chicago.
Goaltending: Joel Hofer (hot early with a shutout) vs. Spencer Knight (struggling early).
Physical edge and special teams: Blues’ depth and PK against Chicago’s efforts to generate offense without Bedard.
Betting Trends
St. Louis is the stronger team on paper with better early results and historical dominance in the series, but Chicago has home-opener energy and Kane’s emotional return. The Blackhawks’ 0-3 start and missing star make them underdogs.
Game Odds
St. Louis Blues – 142
Chicago Blackhawks 5.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, October 5, 2026
