As Chicago moves deeper into its new era built around Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks’ 2026-27 season comes with a few obvious pressure points. The roster has more young talent, more intrigue and, for once, some real pieces worth tracking beyond the nightly Bedard watch.
One of the biggest storylines is Patrick Kane’s return. The move matters because Chicago needed a winger who could keep up with Bedard’s pace and edge.
Since Bedard arrived as a rookie, the burden has fallen on him far too often, with little around him to truly lift the offense. Bedard’s reaction to Kane says plenty about the fit: Chicago would be “so excited to have a player like that” on the team.
Kane’s playmaking and long track record as an offensive support piece should give the Blackhawks a much more dangerous look, especially if he and Bedard land on the same line.
The blue line is another area that demands attention. A top pairing of Bowen Byram and Alex Vlasic would give Chicago a different kind of backbone, one the team has lacked in recent years while struggling in its own zone.
Byram brings newly minted playoff experience, while Vlasic stands out as a 6-foot-6 skater who moves smoothly all over the ice. He may be the Blackhawks’ most underrated player because of how complete his game is.
His defensive-zone awareness, active stick and transition work have pushed him from “dark horse” territory into legitimate big-time defenseman status. He also led all Chicago defensemen in blocked shots in each of the last three seasons.
The projected pairings show how the rest of the defense could shake out: Bowen Byram - Alex Vlasic
Wyatt Kaiser - Artyom Levshunov
Ian Cole - Sam Rinzel
Extras: Ethan Del Mastro, Kevin Korchinski
Chicago’s goaltending picture is also taking shape. Since being acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers on March 1, 2025, Spencer Knight looked like the obvious choice to become the Hawks’ top goalie.
He made that case quickly in Chicago, stopping 41 of 42 shots in a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on March 3. Drew Commesso, who signed a two-year, $875,000 deal on July 6, gives the Blackhawks a tandem they can rely on for the next couple of seasons.
There’s still a clear theme running through all of it: Chicago cannot ask Bedard to do everything. The team needs chemistry around him and enough structure behind him to survive in the defensive zone.
That’s why the depth decisions matter, including the possibility of using Ethan Del Mastro in an 11-forward, seven-defenseman setup, something Chicago did often last season. Kevin Korchinski has played well for the AHL’s Rockford Icehogs, but he still hasn’t shown the same consistency at the NHL level.
The Kaiser-Levshunov pairing could be especially interesting. Levshunov’s offensive instincts and unpredictable rushes should mesh with Kaiser’s more complementary game and his ability to read him.
Both are young enough that communication and trust could go a long way toward covering mistakes. And with Chicago carrying a heavy load of left-shot defensemen, Ian Cole is expected to shift to his off-side to make room for Sam Rinzel.
At 37, Cole is there for stability and veteran presence.
With Bedard set to miss at least the first month and a half while recovering from shoulder surgery, the door opens for someone else to grab the spotlight early. Frank Nazar and Nick Lardis are the obvious names.
Both bring a Bedard-like edge to their game, with the kind of shot and hockey IQ that can rattle goalies. Nazar proved last season that he can be trusted as a top center in big moments.
Lardis brings a style that should have Hawks fans paying attention every time his name is announced at the United Center, because he has a knack for finding a way to create a scoring chance no matter where the puck is.
Chicago still isn’t a guaranteed playoff team, but the energy it showed last season, especially in the first couple of months, suggested the rebuild may be farther along than many expected.
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Blackhawks Playoff Hopes Ride On Growth They Still Need To See
The Blackhawks are heading into training camp with the kind of roster that can still change shape quickly, which is exactly why the next few weeks matter so much. A young group gives Chicago room to grow, and the front office tried to address one of the biggest needs by bringing in Bowen Byram to strengthen the blue line. There is also pressure on players like Kevin Korchinski to take a step forward, because the defense as a whole needs to become more reliable if this team is going to move out of the leagues lower tier.
Special teams will be just as important, especially a power play that needs to become more productive and a penalty kill that has to be steadier. The Blackhawks can point to Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar as part of the next wave, while veterans will need to help set the tone around them, but the larger question is whether the team can turn all that promise into cleaner play and real progress. The talent is there in pieces. The challenge is getting enough of it to show up at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Blue Line Suddenly Puts Pressure On Two Young Defensemen
Chicagos blue line has already been reshaped in a way that makes the next few seasons look a lot different than the last. With Connor Murphy, Matt Grzelcyk and Louis Crevier gone and Bowen Byram and Ian Cole added, the Blackhawks are staring at a defense corps that is still sorting out its balance, especially when it comes to left- and right-handed fit. It is the kind of roster puzzle that can look tidy on paper and still change once the games start, but it has already created a clearer sense of which young defenders are being pushed into bigger roles.
Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel now sit at the center of that conversation because the lineup math appears to be pointing their way. The way the roster is built, there is a real case for the club to split its top young pieces across the top two pairings instead of clustering them together, which only raises the pressure on both players to handle more responsibility sooner rather than later. For a team trying to build a sturdier back end, that is the sort of choice that can shape not just pairings, but the timeline of the entire defense. [Read more 🡒]