With the Chicago Blackhawks securing Connor Bedard’s contract extension and finalizing Patrick Kane’s remarkable return last week, the team’s forward group is now presumably complete for the 2026-27 season.
The only two internal pieces of business left for general manager Kyle Davidson to handle this offseason are figuring out new contracts for restricted free-agent defensemen Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro. But as far as the Blackhawks’ offensive cast for next year goes, the numbers at least suggest there won’t be any more additions made this summer.
Along with Kane, Davidson signed gritty defensive forward Cole Smith in free agency, with the 30-year-old inking a three-year deal when the market opened on July 1. He also acquired fourth-line winger Jordan Greenway via trade from the Buffalo Sabres with defenseman Bowen Byram on June 23.
Kane, Smith, and Greenway being added to the crop of young forwards gives head coach Jeff Blashill a somewhat crowded group entering training camp in September. Veterans Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ryan Donato remain on the roster, while Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Roman Kantserov, Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, and Ryan Greene represent the next wave of talent in the organization.
Not to be forgotten are wingers Andrew Mangiapane and Landon Slaggert, two other viable options who will be fighting for NHL jobs during camp. Altogether, that makes 15 legitimate candidates to crack the opening-night roster come Sept. 29, with only 14 spots likely available. Prospects Sacha Boisvert, Marek Vanacker, and AJ Spellacy could also be in the mix, but all three are expected to begin next year in the AHL with Rockford.
Of course, the Blackhawks will be without their most significant of those 15 forwards for the first month of the regular season, as Bedard isn’t anticipated to be fully recovered from successful offseason shoulder surgery until early to mid-November. That gives Blashill one more open spot to work with early on, but he’ll face many tough decisions nevertheless. He has to figure out which player replaces Bedard as the top-line center, where to position ‘Showtime’, and the proper mix between his young talent and supporting veterans, among various other things.
Here’s a look at how Blashill might answer those questions during the early portion of the 2026-27 season, before Bedard returns to the lineup.
Top Line:Bertuzzi-Nazar-Kane
Without Bedard, it will likely be either Nazar or Frondell stepping into the first-line center role in the early going. Frondell showed in his first NHL stint late in 2025-26 that he’s ready to handle a big workload, but thrusting him into this spot might be asking too much for the 19-year-old rookie.
Nazar, still only 22 himself, is the more experienced player between the two and should be comfortable at the top of the depth chart. He was briefly serving as the team’s top center after Bedard injured his right shoulder in mid-December last year, only to suffer a jaw injury himself just eight days later.
During Kane’s media availability on Friday, he mentioned that he’s already skated with Nazar a few times this summer and has been impressed with what he’s seen from his fellow American. It wouldn’t be surprising to see those two continue to skate together for the rest of the offseason in hopes of building chemistry together for the start of the year.
Bertuzzi provides a terrific net-front option for Nazar and Kane, two playmakers, and he gives the trio some needed sandpaper and physicality. Even though Bertuzzi and Frondell flashed notable chemistry together late last season, and Blashill will surely be tempted to reunite that duo, Nazar and Kane will benefit from having a feisty player on their line. Bertuzzi certainly fits that bill.
Second Line:Teravainen-Frondell-Kantserov
Frondell steps into the second-line center position and gives the Blackhawks sturdy two-way play from down the middle. The Swedish forward’s impressive board play and imposing strength at a young age will also come in handy for this trio.
Like Frondell, Kantserov kicks off his rookie NHL campaign without the top-line spotlight, yet still gets put in a prime position for his skill set. Coming off a league-leading 36 goals in Russia’s KHL last season, he’ll be paired nicely on Frondell’s wing and brings swift skating speed to the combination. Despite a smaller 5-foot-9 frame, Kantserov isn’t a slouch without the puck, either. He uses his speed to get involved in all three zones and works hard defensively. That figures to mesh well with Frondell, too.
Teravainen is coming off his worst season as a pro, and there will be folks scoffing at the idea of him starting next season in the top six. I hear ya, but Blashill might not. He was reluctant to put Donato in a top-six spot last year, and bumping either Moore, Lardis, or Greene to this position makes the combination perhaps too inexperienced. Teravainen at least brings veteran reliability to the table, in addition to his responsible defensive play and capable playmaking.
Third Line: Donato-Moore-Lardis
Until Bedard returns, there’s a decent chance that Moore will get a crack down the middle. He or Greene make the most sense to replace Jason Dickinson this year on Blashill’s typical checking line, but Moore’s impeccable pace gives him the edge. His developing offensive game should also fit with what his two linemates provide.
Lardis doesn’t feel like a natural candidate to play wing on a defensive-focused line, but the offseason additions of Smith and Greenway will allow Blashill more flexibility than he had last year. It’s admittedly still not an ideal spot for Lardis and his gifted goal-scoring talents, but this combination shouldn’t be limited to just defensive situations. Lardis has enough speed to keep up with Moore in transition and doesn’t need much open ice to make the defense pay.
Donato’s addition to the line serves many purposes. For one, he’s been utilized at center for brief stints throughout his career and can help Moore at the faceoff dot, if need be. Second, he’s an experienced and trusted veteran who plays with an edge and won’t back down from anyone. And lastly, he’s only two years removed from being a 30-goal scorer. Odds are that won’t happen again, but he’s a capable shooter and willing net-front presence. Donato’s well-rounded nature helps give the third line strong two-way upside.
Fourth Line: Smith-Greene-Greenway
As mentioned above, Smith and Greenway are no strangers to defensive fourth-line roles and fill voids left by trade deadline and offseason departures. With Ilya Mikheyev now in Tampa Bay, Smith steps in as the new penalty-killing winger with speed and is coming off a stout postseason performance with the Vegas Golden Knights. Greenway, when healthy, brings a physical presence that has been absent from the team since Colton Dach was dealt to Edmonton last March.
Greene might be the biggest wildcard forward of the bunch for the Blackhawks in training camp, as there are several spots where he could get slotted. Even though he spent most of last season on Bedard’s wing, his sturdy defensive play and smart two-way instincts project his future role to be as a third or fourth-liner. With Donato and Moore paired together, Greene is the only forward left on the roster capable of handling center duties between Smith and Greenway.
Extras: Mangiapane, Slaggert
Mangiapane and Slaggert are projected to be the 13th and 14th forwards on the roster to begin the regular season. Once Bedard returns, Mangiapane is a likely candidate to get assigned to Rockford, as Slaggert is no longer waivers-exempt.
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The post Projecting Blackhawks Forward Lines Without Bedard For Early 2026-27 appeared first on Chicago Hockey Now.
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