Teravainen will slide out of the lineup in the second game of a back-to-back which means Peter Regin will dress. #TeuvoMania has averaged 12:44 TOI with no shots, no penalty minutes and no points in his first two NHL games. He is not showing up on the stat sheet yet, but the Blackhawks are pleased with the young Finns playmaking ability and are simply giving him the night off.
Teravainen is expected to open up his NHL career as the third line centre with Brandon Saad and Ben Smith on his wings. He come over from Finland where he finished tied for sixth in the league with 44 regular-season points. He had nine goals and 35 assists in 49 games.
After sitting on Sunday, it looks like Teravainen will slide into the lineup tonight vs. the Stars. There is no word what line he will play on, but we will update when the Blackhawks hit the ice for their gameday skate.
Teravainen will also be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. Head coach Joel Quenneville said Teravainen will likely make his NHL debut against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Teravainen was recalled from Jokerit in Finland's Liiga on Friday.
It is very unlikely that Teravainen will be in the lineup on Friday, but with the injury to Patrick Kane (knee), it definitely opens the door for the talented Finn to potentially move into a top-6 role relatively quickly. He is undersized, but tremendously skilled, something other NHL teams probably don't think the Blackhawks need.
The 19-year-old Teravainen is considered the organization's top prospect. He completed his season in Finland on Sunday when his team, Jokerit, was eliminated from the playoffs in the Liiga. He finished tied for sixth in the league with 44 regular-season points. He had nine goals and 35 assists in 49 games. The Blackhawks may choose to be careful in rushing Teravainen to the NHL to give him time to adjust to being in the United States and reduce any high expectations placed on him right away. However, the injury to Patrick Kane last night, could open the door for Teravainen.
Teravainen, 19, was drafted by the Blackhawks in the first round (19th overall) in 2012, had nine goals and 35 assists (44 points) in 48 games with Jokerit this season. . He signed an entry-level deal with the Blackhawks in August. According to a source, Finland is expected to give Teravainen its blessing to play for the Blackhawks and provide him an opportunity to be a part of the Stanley Cup playoffs instead of asking him to play for his country in the World Championship.
Teravainen will be heading back to Finland this season but is a sleeper name worth stashing in deep dynasty leagues as he's been impressing veterans like Patrick Kane in camp.
