The biggest fantasy hockey storyline when the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Utah Mammoth on October 1 is not simply whether Patrick Kane can score again. It is how Chicago generates offense without Connor Bedard, while Utah unleashes Dylan Guenther, Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley against a Blackhawks team that allowed five goals in its opener.
Chicago enters at 0-1-0 after a 5-2 loss in Vegas. Kane scored in his return to the Blackhawks and logged a team-high 21:36 among Chicago forwards, but Andrew Mangiapane left with a lower-body injury and has already been ruled out for the remainder of the road trip. Bedard remains sidelined following shoulder surgery.
Utah, meanwhile, opens its regular season after finishing 43-33-6 last year and appears deeper than the team Chicago swept 4-0-0 in 2025-26. My biggest fantasy watch is Utah’s PP1. Keller, Guenther, Cooley, Nick Schmaltz and Mikhail Sergachev worked together during preseason, and that unit has enough talent to punish Chicago if the Blackhawks spend too much time shorthanded.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Utah Mammoth Game Information
The Mammoth open their season at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. ESPN’s national schedule lists the matchup for ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu in the United States, while the current Canadian out-of-market listing is Sportsnet+ Premium.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Utah Mammoth Fantasy Hockey Matchup Outlook
Utah owns the stronger statistical foundation.
The Mammoth went 43-33-6 with 92 points last season, scoring 268 goals while allowing 240. Their 3.27 goals per game ranked well ahead of Chicago’s 2.56. Utah’s power play converted at 20.0 percent.
Chicago finished 29-39-14 with 72 points, scoring 210 goals and allowing 270. Its power play converted at only 16.9 percent, although the Blackhawks’ 83.6 percent penalty kill was one of their legitimate strengths.
The wrinkle is head-to-head history: Chicago swept all four meetings last season, winning 3-1, 4-0 and twice by 3-2 in overtime. Chicago also killed all seven Utah power plays through the first three meetings.
That makes tonight fascinating. Utah is the deeper team on paper, but Chicago clearly found a structure last season that frustrated the Mammoth.
NHL Fantasy Players to Watch in Blackhawks vs. Mammoth
Chicago’s first game immediately raised Patrick Kane’s fantasy stock. He scored, registered four shots and played 21:36 against Vegas. Roman Kantserov also received 2:36 of power-play time in his NHL debut.
Anton Frondell is another player I want to monitor closely. The 19-year-old produced nine points in 12 NHL games last season and is expected to handle significant center responsibility while Bedard recovers. NHL.com identified him as a potential fantasy steal entering the year.
Bowen Byram is the Blackhawks defenseman with the most intriguing fantasy upside. Chicago acquired him to play major minutes, and NHL.com’s training-camp analysis projected him for top-pair and power-play exposure.
Utah provides the more obvious premium options. Keller had 88 points, Guenther scored 40 goals, and Cooley produced 43 points in only 54 games. The latest full-roster preseason configuration had Keller-Schmaltz-Trocheck together and Anders Lee-Cooley-Guenther on the second line.
NHLTradeRumor.com Fantasy Matchup Projection
Top Five Blackhawks and Mammoth Fantasy Scorers From Last Season
Bedard led Chicago with 30 goals, 45 assists and 75 points, followed by Bertuzzi (58), Frank Nazar (41), Ilya Mikheyev (36) and Teuvo Teravainen (35).
Utah’s group was substantially more productive: Keller had 88 points, Schmaltz 74, Guenther 73, Sergachev 59 and JJ Peterka 47. Peterka is no longer with Utah, so this index is historical rather than a representation of tonight’s lineup.
Injuries and Absences That Could Affect Fantasy Value
Bedard is the obvious absence. Chicago’s new captain remains out following offseason shoulder surgery and is expected to miss the opening portion of the season. Without him, Chicago has used young forwards Frondell and Kantserov in meaningful offensive situations while Kane becomes even more important as a puck distributor.
Mangiapane is now out as well. Coach Jeff Blashill said he will not play during the remainder of this trip after leaving Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury. That creates another top-nine opening. Teuvo Teravainen is one player I would monitor at Chicago’s morning skate, but that is my inference rather than a confirmed lineup change.
Utah placed defenseman Maveric Lamoureux on injured reserve with an upper-body injury when it announced the opening roster. Dmitri Simashev therefore has an opportunity on the third pair.
Neither starting goalie was officially confirmed in the sources I reviewed this morning. Chicago started Spencer Knight against Vegas, while Utah’s roster contains Karel Vejmelka and Sebastian Cossa. Vejmelka stopped all 25 shots in Utah’s preseason finale and remains the established No. 1 after winning 38 games last season.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Utah Mammoth Salary-Cap Snapshot
We currently list Chicago at approximately $102.55 million in projected cap hit and $1.45 million in projected space. Utah’s latest listing shows roughly $99.22 million projected cap hit and $4.78 million in projected space against the $104 million ceiling.
Utah has somewhat more room for recalls and in-season adjustments. That does not predict tonight’s result, but over a long fantasy season cap flexibility can affect prospect recalls, injury replacements and future roster opportunities.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Utah Mammoth Fantasy Hockey Prediction
MY SCORE PREDICTION: Utah Mammoth 4 – Chicago Blackhawks 2
I am taking Utah despite Chicago’s surprising 4-0-0 sweep last season.
My reasoning starts with personnel. Chicago is playing without its best offensive player in Bedard and has now lost Mangiapane as well. Utah counters with Keller, Guenther, Cooley and Schmaltz, plus veteran additions Trocheck and Anders Lee.
I also expect Utah’s power play to be an important difference. Keller, Schmaltz, Guenther, Cooley and Sergachev formed its top preseason unit. Chicago’s penalty kill was excellent last season, but repeatedly defending that much skill is a tougher task without generating enough possession at the other end.
From a fantasy perspective, Guenther and Keller have my highest point ceilings, while Kane remains Chicago’s most appealing short-term play after his four-shot, one-goal opener.
The historical trend prevents me from treating this as an easy Utah matchup. Chicago held Utah to only eight total goals across four meetings last season. But the Mammoth added experience, Chicago is missing Bedard, and tonight is Utah’s home opener.
More important than the final score for fantasy managers will be Chicago’s PP1 configuration. NHL.com projected Kantserov, Kane, Frondell, Bertuzzi and Byram together to open the season. If that five-man group receives another heavy workload without Bedard, Kantserov and Frondell become much more interesting early-season waiver targets.
How to Watch Chicago Blackhawks vs. Utah Mammoth
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. CT / 7:30 p.m. MT
Arena: Delta Center, Salt Lake City
Canada: Sportsnet+ Premium, out-of-market listing
United States: ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
Chicago Radio: WGN 720 AM / Blackhawks App
Utah Radio: KSL Sports Zone 1280 AM / 97.5 FM; KSL Sports App; SiriusXM 226
This is an ESPN exclusive in the United States rather than a normal local television broadcast. In Canada, Sportsnet+ Premium’s out-of-market rules and subscription requirements can apply. I did not find a separate game-specific blackout warning, but fans should verify availability with their provider shortly before puck drop.
For more coverage, visit NHLTradeRumor.com’s Chicago Blackhawks TV schedule and Utah Mammoth TV schedule to find what channel each team is on today, and follow the 2026-27 NHL point leaders as the season develops. While you’re here, join our NHL Fantasy Hockey Pool to test your GM skills against other hockey fans and compete for ultimate bragging rights.
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