blackhawks vs sharks arrives with projected lineups that put Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini at the center of the night, as both clubs prepare for a matchup in San Jose. The Blackhawks skated with a forward group that includes Bedard, while the Sharks listed Celebrini to play after he did not take part in the morning skate. The latest lineup notes also point to returns, scratches, and injury management on both sides.
Projected lineups shape blackhawks vs sharks
For Chicago, the projected forward lines show Ryan Greene with Bedard and Nick Lardis, followed by Tyler Bertuzzi with Anton Frondell and Ilya Mikheyev, Ryan Donato with Frank Nazar and Andrew Mangiapane, and Teuvo Teravainen with Sacha Boisvert and Landon Slaggert. The Blackhawks scratches are Sam Lafferty, Dominic Toninato, and Andre Burakovsky, while Matt Grzelcyk, Artyom Levshunov, and Oliver Moore are listed injured.
For San Jose, the projected forwards are Igor Chernyshov with Celebrini and Will Smith, William Eklund with Alexander Wennberg and Kiefer Sherwood, Collin Graf with Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli, and Barclay Goodrow with Zack Ostapchuk and Ty Dellandrea. The Sharks scratches are Pavol Regenda, Philipp Kurashev, John Klingberg, and Adam Gaudette, with Dellandrea set to enter after sitting out the previous two games.
Lineup changes and availability on both benches
Mangiapane could return after missing nine games because of an undisclosed injury, and Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said the forward is “available. ” That is one of the clearest late updates for Chicago in a game where the blackhawks vs sharks matchup is being shaped as much by health as by talent.
On the San Jose side, Celebrini did not participate in the morning skate but will play. The update matters because the Sharks are leaning on him in a lineup that also includes Smith and Toffoli, while Dellandrea draws back in after being scratched the previous two games. He replaces Gaudette, a forward.
Immediate reactions around the matchup
Blashill’s comment on Mangiapane gave Chicago a clear sign that one possible lineup decision had shifted late. On the Sharks side, the note that Celebrini will play after skipping the morning skate provided the key confirmation the team needed before puck drop.
Those lineup calls underscore how the blackhawks vs sharks meeting is being framed: Chicago is trying to manage injuries and returns, while San Jose is balancing its own rest and availability decisions around its top young center.
Quick context on the bigger picture
This matchup also lands with Connor Bedard and Celebrini linked again, with both players standing out as the focal points of their teams. Bedard has continued to produce, while Celebrini remains the face of the Sharks’ push in a season that has given him a major role.
The setting adds weight to a game already carrying attention from the projected line combinations. The blackhawks vs sharks meeting is less about a single change and more about how each club is arranging its roster for the moment.
What comes next
With the projected lineups in place, the final questions are whether Chicago’s available forwards hold through game time and how San Jose uses its confirmed group around Celebrini. If those plans stay intact, blackhawks vs sharks should turn quickly from lineup watch to execution, with the spotlight fixed on the players who were written into the center of it.
