A long, exhausting season for the Chicago Blackhawks doesn’t always need to have a negative connotation wrapped around it, as there will be opportunities aplenty for this team’s future. Not only will you expect more productivity out of someone like Connor Bedard, but look for those other youngsters to grow, like Alex Vlasic and maybe even Aryom Levshunov.
Yeah, the Blackhawks are in that less-than-desirable situation, but it’s still one of the more fun teams to follow simply thanks to the sheer possibility fans at least know who’s going to be part of this team’s immediate future. It’s something I’ve spoken about recently, but one player I’ve mentioned so far in passing who deserves a deep dive is Frank Nazar.
What’s really sold me so far on Nazar is how he’s performed over the past 10 contests, with seven points and three goals. Yeah, a naysayer might quip that two of those points have come in the last six but overall, he’s made leaps in progress.
Look for Frank Nazar to show more consistency down the stretch
Listen, young players with a limited body of work like Nazar are prone to cold streaks early, so his recent outings haven’t surprised me. Still, compare his last 10 games to his first 16, and you’ll see where I’m going with this.
In that span, Nazar finished with one goal and three points, plus a 4.8 shooting percentage. We knew he’d start figuring it out at some point, and his previous 10 games have, for the most part, pointed north. As he gains more experience, look for Nazar to keep snagging something close to 0.7 to 0.75 points per game, on average, and he’ll be poised for a strong 2025-26 season.
But we shouldn’t even need to wait that long before Nazar shows us what he’s capable of, considering an exodus that might consume the Hawks at the trade deadline. Should such an exodus occur, Nazar will benefit with more ice time, closer to the 16:09 he garnered last season during a few cameo appearances as opposed to the 14:40 he’s accumulated so far this year.
Blackhawks would be smart to test Nazar on a few lines
The ultimate question should be where Nazar fits in this puzzle. I’m looking at him as a top-six forward, and I know most of you reading this are doing the same. Nazar has all the tools necessary to consistently play in the top six in the NHL, and with a complete game, might I add.
Still, it’s imperative to gain a strong idea of where Nazar fits following the trade deadline, which would give the Hawks a strong idea of where he best serves the team. Maybe it’s next to Connor Bedard, or maybe he’s best suited to primarily play on a different line?
Regardless of how the Hawks ultimately use Nazar after the deadline, he’ll find his home once that production grows more consistent. That will be the case at some point following the 4 Nations Face-Off and definitely after the trade deadline, and it’ll be one of the top late-season storylines for the Hawks.
