Spellacy was a third-round pick, 72nd overall, of the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old forward is in his third season with the Windsor Spitfires (OHL), tallying 25 points (11G / 14A) through 40 games.
Del Mastro was a fourth-round pick, 105th overall, of the Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut last season, playing two games. He has spent the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, tallying eight points (0G / 8A) in 38 games with the Rockford IceHogs.
Kane was absent from the morning skate on Thursday and will not play in the evening against the Montreal Canadiens due to an upper-body ailment. The 36-year-old Kane has been held off the scoresheet in two straight games after a stretch where he tallied 16 points (6G / 10A) in 10 games.
On the tail end of a back-to-back, the Panthers will turn to Knight between the pipes on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings. Knight was excellent in his most recent outing, saving all 34 shots he faced in a 3-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks for his second shutout of the season. He has a 2.45 GAA and .905 SV% in 18 appearances this season (9-6-1). The Panthers enter Wednesday's contest as slight +102 road underdogs against the Kings.
Smith has been sidelined since December 21st with a lower-body injury he suffered while blocking a shot. He'll replace Mark Jankowski, who is out week-to-week, on the Nashville fourth line.
Smith has not played since December 21st, missing 11 straight games, but is nearing a return to the lineup. The 29-year-old Smith was averaging 13:03 time-on-ice and has five points (2G / 3A) in 34 games before his injury.
Smith has not played since December 21st, missing 11 straight games, but is nearing a return to the lineup. The 29-year-old Smith was averaging 13:03 time-on-ice and has five points (2G / 3A) in 34 games before his injury.
The Blackhawks will hope to snap a three-game losing skid on Thursday when they turn to Soderblom between the pipes in a matchup against the Nashville Predators. The 25-year-old Soderblom struggled in his most recent outing, allowing four goals on 34 shots (.882 SV%) in a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. He has a 2.99 GAA and .903 SV% in 19 appearances this season (6-11-1). The Blackhawks enter Thursday's contest as significant +241 road underdogs against a Predators squad coming off an impressive 5-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights.
On the tail end of a back-to-back, the Panthers will turn to Knight between the pipes on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. Knight has only played once in the previous seven game but was stellar in that outing, saving 29 of 31 shots (.935 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 23-year-old Knight has a 2.80 GAA and .891 SV% in 15 appearances this season (7-6-1).
T.J. Brodie will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Calgary Flames, allowing Kaiser to re-enter the lineup. The 22-year-old Kaiser is averaging 17:44 time-on-ice and has three points (1G / 2A) in 32 games this season.
Knight went 2-2-1 with a 3.80 GAA and .846 SV% in five games in December. Knight will look to put a tough month of December behind him, as he starts January with a decent matchup vs. the Penguins. Despite being on the second half of a back-to-back, Knight and the Panthers have the second-highest implied Win% (65.6%) on the slate. Knight has been significantly better on home-ice this season, going 2-3-0 with a. 2.09 GAA, .914 SV% and one shutout in Florida, versus 4-3-1 with a 3.39 GAA and .871 SV% on the road.
Connor Murphy will not play on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens due to a groin injury, allowing Kaiser to re-enter the lineup. Kaiser has not played since December 14th. He is averaging 17:33 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) in 28 games this season.
Petr Mrazek played in Chicago's 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Tuesday's Winter Classic. The Blackhawks will revert to Soderblom between the pipes on Friday, looking to snap a five-game losing skid. Soderblom allowed five goals on 35 shots (.857 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. He has a 2.78 GAA and .907 SV% in 16 games this season (5-9-1). The Blackhawks enter Friday's contest as +124 home underdogs against a Montreal Canadiens squad outscoring their opposition 12-4 during a three-game winning streak.
