Lukas Reichel made his season debut for the Chicago Blackhawks after being a healthy scratch for the first four games. He played on the fourth line against the San Jose Sharks, with coach Luke Richardson believing it was a good matchup for him. Reichel, a first-round pick in the 2020 draft, has faced inconsistency since his debut.

Chicago also placed defenseman Alec Martinez on injured reserve due to a groin injury and recalled Isaak Phillips from the AHL. Richardson provided updates on injured players Laurent Brossoit and Artyom Levshunov, indicating they are not yet ready for practice.