At one point it looked like Duncan Keith may miss the start of the regular season. But that’s no longer the case -- the Blackhawks’ star defenseman will make his preseason debut tonight at home against Detroit. If all goes well and there are no issues with the knee injury that kept him out of the World Cup, he should be ready for next Wednesday when Chicago plays for real in St. Louis.
The big question now is whether young Gustav Forsling will remain with the NHL club. The 20-year-old defenseman has impressed during the preseason, and he’s outlasted the likes of Viktor Svedberg, Erik Gustafsson, Cameron Schilling, and Ville Pokka.
The Blackhawks’ active roster currently has eight d-men, and they may keep that many to start the season. (That list of eight includes Niklas Hjalmarsson, who will miss the first game due to a suspension.)
If Forsling doesn’t stick with the ‘Hawks, he’s expected to return to Sweden for the year.
Quenneville says Forsling staying is "not out of the realm of possibility." Sounds like they're keeping eight defensemen.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) October 4, 2016