- The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to reintroduce a pair of veteran players into the lineup. According to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, defenseman Alec Martinez and forward Craig Smith have been downgraded to day-to-day and are expected back soon. Both players have missed nearly a month for the Blackhawks with separate injuries. Chicago only has one open roster spot in the NHL meaning they’ll need to make at least one roster move to pave the way for both player’s activation.