Breaking down the Blackhawks’ potential forward lines and defensemen pairs as preseason winds down

Jeremy Colliton chuckled about the Blackhawks’ sloppy defensive effort Saturday against the Bruins — or, more accurately, the Bruins’ AHL team, plus a few NHL players.

If it was the regular season, he would’ve been furious. Despite winning 3-2 in overtime, the Hawks’ defense conceded a whopping 29 scoring chances and 15 high-danger chances, frequently forcing goalie Robin Lehner to bail them out. But it didn’t count. It only peeled back the curtain another inch for Colliton to see what he must fix.

Besides, every turnover, every mistake — just like every good pass and every smart play — helps provide more clarity as to what the season-opening roster should be.

“We’ve done some work,” said Colliton, reflecting on the first nine days of training camp before the day off Sunday. “We’ve had some battling and [done] some system things, and I’ve been quite happy with the progression. We’re getting better as it goes on here. Also, to me, it’s becoming more clear what our lineup’s going to look like.”

The Hawks will have just 60 more minutes of live competition — Wednesday against the Capitals — before determining whom to bring to the Czech Republic for the regular-season opener. The game Saturday in Boston essentially will be played by the Rockford IceHogs.

That decision won’t be as intense as it could be. The NHL will allow the Hawks to bring a few more players on the trip than usual (most teams must finish the preseason with 23 on the active roster), but with the long-awaited depth the Hawks have compiled, it still won’t be easy.

Entering the final week of camp, here’s how the lineup might look.

Forward lines

Alex Nylander, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane

The Hawks think Nylander can excel when he’s surrounded by skill, despite his three years of lean results with the Sabres. That logic that didn’t work out well with Dylan Sikura, but Nylander has more raw talent.

Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Andrew Shaw

Colliton loves how Shaw, Chicago’s beloved grit champion, can terrorize opponents on the forecheck and win the puck in the offensive zone, giving elite playmakers DeBrincat and Strome lots of finishing opportunities.

Brandon Saad, David Kampf, Dominik Kubalik

Having Kubalik, whose one-timer against the Red Wings remains the highlight of the Hawks’ preseason, and Saad on the third line will provide valuable depth. Colliton likes Kampf at center, despite his offensive shortcomings, but Anton Wedin and Kirby Dach can’t be counted out.

Drake Caggiula, Ryan Carpenter, Zack Smith

Colliton raved about this trio’s play against the Bruins. “They were able to start on our half of the rink and end in theirs,” he said.

Defensive pairings

Duncan Keith, Erik Gustafsson

The Hawks’ first pairing from most of the latter half of last season looks likely to stay intact for at least the start of this season, although both — especially Gustafsson — have looked rusty in their own end.

Olli Maatta, Brent Seabrook

This pairing sounds like a disaster in waiting, considering neither can skate faster than a Zamboni. But they’ve more than compensated in defensive stoutness. If they work effectively in the regular season, too, the front office will be thrilled.

Calvin de Haan, Connor Murphy

De Haan has yet to make his preseason debut, but he’s trending toward recovering from shoulder surgery and a strained groin in time for the opener. Murphy is basically a lock for an NHL job, but Slater Koekkoek, Carl Dahlstrom, Philip Holm (despite being waived Sunday) and Adam Boqvist remain in the conversation.