So let’s take a minute to chat about this whole top line situation the Blackhawks have going on right now. I think a lot of us really like the idea of Frank Nazar being a second-line center behind Connor Bedard when he initially came up, and he was doing a really nice job at the dot and playing a good, defensively-responsible game. Then the Hawks threw him on the wing with 98 in the third period of the Calgary debacle and saw something that gave the coaching staff pause. So they brought it back in Nashville — and it was really good. And they brought it back against Vegas (a big, heavy team with championship pedigree) — and it was really good again.
Here’s what interim head coach Anders Sorensen said about the two young forwards together after practice on Friday, between the Nashville loss and the Vegas win. (Again, great question…)
I talked to Nazar after practice on Friday and he noted that he played wing primarily before he got to the US National Development Program, so he’s totally comfortable there. But he’s also a good center who clearly benefitted from his time with the USNTP and at the University of Michigan; he’s more physical than his size would indicate, his speed is elite, he hunts pucks and has great instincts on the ice.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Bedard and Nazar have been on the ice together for 15:16 at even strength thus far and already have a 0.83 expected Goals For rate. They haven’t scored a goal yet, but they’ve been on the ice for 10 Blackhawks’ shots on net and four high danger chances in those 15 minutes and change. Throw in Tyler Bertuzzi and his 16 goals and the Blackhawks might have something to stick into the 2025-26 season there.
- Speaking of Bertuzzi, he’s now scored 11 goals since Dec. 1 — which is one goal more than Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Alex DeBrincat, Jason Robertson, Brandon Hagel and Cole Caufield over that time frame.
- Speaking of Nazar and Bertuzzi, Nazar’s had plenty of Grade A chances and just hasn’t cashed one yet. If I could give Nazar a word of confidence, I would simply tell him to go back and look at Bertuzzi from about mid-October thru the end of November. Bertuzzi went to the same places and got the same looks, but he hit the post or went high/wide seemingly every time. But he kept doing the right things and, eventually, the flood gates opened. When they open up for Nazar…
- If the Blackhawks leave Nazar on Bedard’s wing opposite Bertuzzi for a while, that obviously opens up a spot at center on the second line (again). Lukas Reichel got that spot and ran with it against Vegas, scoring a highlight-reel goal. The Hawks had Colton Dach and Nick Foligno on that line and Foligno joked that he liked being on a line with his sons.
- Dach has 28 hits in his first 8 games in the NHL. He’s first on the Blackhawks in hits per 60 minutes (18.08), ahead of Foligno (10.00). Both of them can skate and Foligno plays a responsible game; he did well covering Bedard’s backside last year. If those three can click like the top line has, and Dach can continue to be an effective wrecking ball who’s also getting to the front of the net, that could bode very well for Reichel to take a step forward. Good story here from Ben Pope at the Chicago Sun-Times about the little things Reichel is doing better this season that don’t show up in the box score.
- As an aside: Dach needs to change his number at the end of the season so the Blackhawks can #Retire28.
- Nick Lardis scored his 37th goal of the season on Sunday (see below). It held up as the game-winner for Brantford, Lardis’ seventh GWG of the season. He enters Monday leading the OHL in game-winning goals (7), tied for the OHL lead in goals (with Michael Misa) and tied for second in the OHL with 13 power play goals. His 66 points rank fifth in the league.
Sunday afternoon 🚨 for #Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis for @BulldogsOHL
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 20, 2025
His 37th of the season
pic.twitter.com/GUWa8zPsNO
- There is a ton of smoke out there about the Canucks being *this close* to blowing things up. There was talk on Saturday that Miller was a game-time decision because a trade might happen that would have sent him to the New York Rangers. David Pagnotta reports (below) that the deal with the Rangers fell thru and is currently off the table, but that’s a situation to continue to monitor. It seems like the league is kinda waiting to see what happens in Vancouver before some other big dominos start to fall into place.
- Another unhappy employee to watch this week for a potential trade soon is RHD Simon Nemec, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s been stuck in the AHL this season and is not happy about the situation. he had 19 points in 60 games with the Devils during the 2023-24 season but has only appeared in 9 NHL games this year.
- After things got off the rails on Saturday between the Oilers and Canucks, both Tyler Myers and Connor McDavid will have hearings with the league office today. Both should be suspended. We’ll see if the NHL’s so-called Dept. of Player Safety has the intestinal fortitude to sit McJesus down for a couple nights.
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