Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. ET
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
TV/Streaming: ESPN+, TSN3, CHSN
The Jets, off to a strong start in the Central Division, visit the rebuilding Blackhawks in the first meeting of the 2026-27 season. Winnipeg has won four of its last five, while Chicago sits near the bottom of the division after a mix of results.
Current Rosters & Projected Lineups
Winnipeg Jets (key active contributors):
Forwards feature Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Cole Perfetti (hot with multi-goal games), Gabriel Vilardi, Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter, Alex Iafallo, and depth options.
Defense: Neal Pionk, Dylan DeMelo, Mario Ferraro, Dylan Samberg, and others filling in.
Goalies: Stuart Skinner (strong early form) and Clay Stevenson. Note: Connor Hellebuyck is suspended.
Projected lines (recent patterns):
Connor – Scheifele – Perfetti
Niederreiter – Björck – Vilardi
Rosén – Lowry – Iafallo
Namestnikov – Barron – Koepke
Defense pairs: Ferraro-Pionk, Samberg-DeMelo, Fleury-Bauer. Skinner is the projected starter.
Chicago Blackhawks:
Forwards include Connor Bedard (recently returned or integrating), Patrick Kane, Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Roman Kantserov, Anton Frondell, and supporting cast.
Defense: Bowen Byram, Artyom Levshunov, Alex Vlasic, Ian Cole.
Goalies: Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom.
Projected lines (recent usage):
Kantserov – Bedard – Kane (or variations)
Bertuzzi – Frondell – Teravainen
Depth lines with Greene, Donato, Greenway, etc.
Defense: Byram-Levshunov, Vlasic-Cole, Kaiser-Rinzel. Knight is a likely starter.
Injury Reports
Jets: D Josh Morrissey (wrist/upper body, day-to-day); C Garrett Brown (lower body, IR); RW Walker Duehr (lower body); D Elias Salomonsson (shoulder); G Connor Hellebuyck (suspension, expected return around Oct. 17). Blue-line depth is tested without Morrissey.
Blackhawks: LW Andrew Mangiapane (lower body, IR); D Ryan Ellis (back, out for season). Limited additional absences reported beyond these.
Key Player Matchups
Kyle Connor / Mark Scheifele / Cole Perfetti vs. Blackhawks defense: Winnipeg’s top line has produced heavily (including a 7-point night recently). Byram, Levshunov, and Vlasic must contain their speed and skill.
Connor Bedard / Patrick Kane / Tyler Bertuzzi vs. Jets defense: Bedard’s integration and Kane’s playmaking will test Pionk, DeMelo, and company. Winnipeg’s structure has limited opponents effectively.
Goaltending: Stuart Skinner (solid .917 SV% early) vs. Spencer Knight. Skinner’s form gives the Jets an edge.
Special teams: Jets boast a strong power play (around 31%) and elite PK; Blackhawks’ PP has struggled. Faceoffs and transition play will be critical.
Secondary: Lowry’s checking line vs. Chicago’s secondary scoring, and Vilardi’s two-way contributions.
Recent Team Forms
Jets: 4-1-1. Recent: Win vs. Minnesota (5-2, Perfetti two goals, Scheifele multipoint), loss to Anaheim, wins over Colorado, Pittsburgh, and Detroit. Balanced scoring and strong special teams have driven the strong start despite Hellebuyck’s absence.
Blackhawks: 2-5-0. Recent: Win vs. Pittsburgh (5-3), losses to Carolina, Islanders, and others, with a win over St. Louis. Higher goals against (around 4.14 GA/GP) and inconsistent offense mark the early struggles, though Bedard’s presence adds upside.
Series History
First meeting of 2026-27. The Central Division rivals have a competitive recent history, with games often decided by special teams or goaltending. Winnipeg has held the edge in many recent seasons, but Chicago’s home building can be tough.
Betting Trends
Trends favor Winnipeg’s stronger form and special teams; unders have shown value in some Blackhawks games given defensive issues, while Jets games can go either way.
Winnipeg enters as the clearer favorite with better overall metrics and momentum, but Chicago’s young talent (Bedard) and home ice keep it competitive. The Jets’ depth and special teams should prove decisive if they maintain structure.
Game Odds
Winnipeg Jets – 133
Chicago Blackhawks 6
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 14, 2026
