Winnipeg Jets at Chicago Blackhawks | Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT / 8:00 PM ET | United Center, Chicago | CHSN, ESPN+, WGN-720 AM
The Blackhawks finally got a win on Tuesday. They beat Pittsburgh 5-3 in Connor Bedard’s season debut, with Teuvo Teravainen scoring twice and Bedard adding an assist, according to one game preview I found. That moves us to 2-5. The next team in is a Jets group sitting at 4-1-1 with one of the best power plays in the league.
I picked Carolina to beat us on Saturday, 4-2. They won 5-2, so I had the side but not the margin. Here’s how I see tonight.
Game Info: Jets at Blackhawks
- Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
- Puck drop: 7:00 PM CT / 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: United Center, Chicago
- TV: CHSN in Chicago, ESPN+ for out-of-market streaming, WGN-720 AM on radio. Canadian viewers can find it on TSN3
- Records: Blackhawks 2-5-0 (4 points); Jets 4-1-1 (9 points, second in the Central)
- Odds: Jets roughly -133 to -135 on the moneyline, Blackhawks around +112 to +114. The total is 6 to 6.5 depending on the book. Lines move, so check yours
What Bedard Changes
Bedard sat out the first six games after offseason shoulder surgery. Jeff Blashill said before Tuesday that the call on his return was “certainly trending towards being a coach’s decision,” and he did play, centering the top line between Roman Kantserov and Patrick Kane in the projected lineup.
The projected forward lines before Tuesday looked like this: Kantserov-Bedard-Kane; Bertuzzi-Frondell-Teravainen; Smith-Greene-Greenway; Moore-Toninato-Donato. Anton Frondell leads the team in points with six through seven games, and Kantserov has three goals.
Blashill has talked about wanting lines that “click,” like Vegas and Carolina, and not what he called “a blender.” With Bedard back, tonight is the first real chance to see something that looks stable.
The Nazar Question
Frank Nazar was suspended two games for the illegal check on Bo Horvat, which meant he missed the Carolina game and Tuesday’s. He should be eligible tonight. The Hockey News said Dominic Toninato goes back to Rockford when Nazar returns, but I couldn’t confirm that he is in tonight’s lineup. Check the morning skate and warmups.
Andrew Mangiapane is on injured reserve. I haven’t seen any other new Chicago injuries.
What Is Wrong With the Hawks Right Now
The numbers are blunt. Chicago has allowed 29 goals in seven games, which is 29th in the NHL, and has scored 17. One stats page has the power play at about 12.5% and the penalty kill at 75%. Spencer Knight is 2-3-0 with a 3.64 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage, and he’s the projected starter.
With numbers like that, the Jets are not a team you want to give power plays to.
The Jets: Deep, Disciplined and Dangerous on the Power Play
Winnipeg has scored 18 and allowed 17 through six games. Their power play is converting at 31.3%, fourth in the league, and their penalty kill is at 92.3%. They beat Colorado 3-2, lost 5-1 to Anaheim and won their most recent game 5-2 against Minnesota.
- Kyle Connor leads the team with seven goals and three assists.
- Mark Scheifele has six points.
- Stuart Skinner is projected to start in goal. He’s 3-0-1 with a 2.47 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The starters aren’t confirmed.
- Josh Morrissey has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury since the Colorado game and missed the last two games, so his status tonight is a question. Without him, Haydn Fleury and Tyrel Bauer play on the bottom pair and Mario Ferraro plays with Neal Pionk. One preview also lists Garrett Brown and Walker Duehr as out.
The Matchups I’m Watching
Special teams. Their 31.3% power play against our shaky penalty kill is the worst possible pairing for us. If Chicago stays out of the box, the game is a lot closer.
Bedard and Kane vs. Winnipeg’s back end. If Morrissey is out, Winnipeg is down its top defenseman, and that is Chicago’s best chance to create offense at even strength.
Knight vs. Connor. Connor has seven goals in six games. Knight has to be better than a .885.
The start. Chicago has been outscored 29-17, and a cautious start against a team with this much finish isn’t a plan.
What Actually Decides Tonight
If the Hawks avoid penalties, score first and get the crowd involved, they can make this a one-goal game. If the Jets get two or three power plays, I think it’s over. The odds say Winnipeg is a modest favorite, which feels about right to me.
I want to pick us. Bedard is back, Nazar should be back and the building will be loud. But Winnipeg is the better team by almost every number I can find. I’ll go with the Jets in a one-goal game, and I’ll be glad to be wrong.
My Honest Final Score Prediction: Winnipeg Jets 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3
The post Blackhawks vs. Jets Prediction October 15th: Bedard’s Back, Nazar Should Be Too, and Winnipeg Is a Bad Draw appeared first on UrbanMatter.
