Morning Chirps: Korchinski trade speculation, Benn & Barkov injured

The Chicago Blackhawks seem to have targeted their line combinations for the regular season, while a young defenseman cannot escape the trade speculation. Meanwhile, the injuries are starting to pile up across the National Hockey League. Enjoy your Friday Morning Chirps!

Blackhawks Chirps

• Although there are five preseason games remaining, the Blackhawks' opening-night roster is taking shape. Being on Team 2 doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a trip to Rockford, as Kevin Korchinski and Nolan Allan will be on Team 1 today.

• The crew at The Chicago Lead is the latest to ponder if Korchinski is trade bait. Trading him just for the sake of trading him would be a huge mistake. Now, including him in a deal to acquire a young forward, say Mason McTavish, is another story. Patience. You must have patience.

• We talked about Korchinski and a whole lot more on the latest episode of the Second Balcony. Please subscribe, like, follow, and leave 5-star reviews!

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, Sept. 26: Vic Heyliger, Fido Purpur, Frank Brimsek, Chris Kunitz, and John Scott.

NHL Chirps

• The Dallas Stars announced that captain Jamie Benn will undergo surgery to repair a collapsed lung and will miss the start of the regular season. He sustained the injury during Tuesday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Wild. He will be reevaluated in four weeks, which means he’ll miss at least seven games.

• Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was helped off the ice Thursday after suffering an apparent right leg injury during practice. Head coach Paul Maurice did not have an update and said he will have more information on the severity today. The Blackhawks play the Panthers on opening night.

• According to Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, the New York Rangers are hoping to sign star forward Artemi Panarin for a discounted price. With the salary cap going up, asking your best player to play for less money doesn’t sound like a keen idea.

• Thursday was the first day NHL teams could place a player on waivers. The biggest name on the initial list was Utah Mammoth goaltender Connor Ingram. This comes as no surprise, as the 28-year-old netminder has not participated in training camp as the team looks to find him a new home.

• The Boston Bruins are bringing back Zdeno Chara! No, he won’t be patrolling the blue line again. He’s been hired as a Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor. Per the team’s statement, he will focus on "building relationships and strengthening communication between players and coaches, attending practices and home games, and providing off-ice development support to defensemen."

• Hey look! It’s Mitch Marner in a Vegas Golden Knights uniform.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, Sept. 26: Clint Benedict, Garry Howatt, Craig Janney, Paul Laus, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Brooks Orpik, and Nick Shore.