The Chicago Blackhawks are carrying a lot of youth into the 2026-27 season, and for a handful of players, that next step could be the one that changes how they’re viewed around the league.
Connor Bedard is already the headliner at 21, and his rise is no mystery at this point. But beyond him, the Blackhawks have several players 23 or younger who are positioned for their first real breakout as NHL contributors. Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis all have a path to becoming much bigger parts of the picture.
Nazar looks like the most obvious offensive bet. In 2025-26, he put up 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points in 66 games, and his season was interrupted by an injury after a strong start.
Even so, he finished on the right track, and the expectation now is that he takes another jump. Chicago is treating him like one of its primary scoring options, and with Bedard expected to miss the first month or so of the season, that responsibility only grows.
The biggest question hanging over Nazar is positional: is he a center or a wing? The Blackhawks are moving forward as if he’s a center who can drive his own line, though a possible run with Patrick Kane or Tyler Bertuzzi would be a major boost.
Either way, the sense is that he’s skilled enough to fit with just about anyone.
Rinzel’s first year did not unfold the way many expected after his strong final college season and his brief 9-game look with the Blackhawks. He was sent to the AHL at one point, but when he came back, he looked calmer and more locked in.
Now the focus is on turning him into a reliable defenseman in 2026-27. With Bowen Byram and other young blueliners in the mix, there’s no need to force Rinzel into a starring role right away.
That setup should let him grow into a solid two-way defenseman, and if he gets power-play time, his offensive tools could start to show up more clearly.
Moore’s season ended with an injury just as things were starting to click, which makes him another player worth watching closely. Like Nazar, his long-term position is still being sorted out, whether it’s wing or center.
What isn’t in doubt is the raw speed. Moore is the fastest player in the organization, and that one trait already gives him real value.
It helps him get to loose pucks, defend, kill penalties and make life miserable for opponents. Once that pace starts matching his skill level more consistently, the goals and assists should follow.
Then there’s Lardis, who brings a different kind of upside. He’s a scorer, plain and simple.
In his final OHL season in 2024-25, he scored 71 goals, and that production made it clear he had NHL potential in his future. He got his pro start with the Rockford IceHogs and scored 18 goals in 35 games before being called up after Connor Bedard got hurt.
Lardis ended up playing 41 NHL games and scored 10 goals, which is no small thing for a 20-year-old rookie third-round pick. If he gets a season with good playmakers and stays healthy, a 30-goal year at 21 is very much in play.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Just Added An International Twist To This Season
The Blackhawks have been leaning into the past and the present at the same time, with their Number History series spotlighting the players who wore 26 through 30 while Wyatt Kaiser continues to settle in as part of the young core that took shape last season. It is the kind of in-house storytelling that fits a rebuild, tying the clubs tradition to the players expected to carry it forward.
Now Chicagos season will also carry an international wrinkle. The NHL has lined up the Blackhawks for a December trip overseas as part of the Global Series, giving the team a marquee stage far from the United Center and a chance to show how this new-look roster handles a different kind of spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Need Their Biggest Strength To Survive A Major Reshuffle
The Blackhawks spent last season leaning on one of their most reliable areas, and now that strength is being put to the test by an offseason reshuffle. With the team looking ahead to 2026-27, Chicago has seen key penalty-kill contributors move on, forcing the coaching staff and front office to rework a part of the roster that had become a real asset. General manager Kyle Davidson has already brought in Ian Cole, Bowen Byram, Cole Smith and Jordan Greenway as part of the effort to keep that unit steady.
What makes the transition especially important is the style behind it. Assistant coach Michael Peca and head coach Jeff Blashill have stressed the need for buy-in to the aggressive penalty-kill system the Blackhawks used last season, and that kind of commitment tends to matter as much as personnel. The question now is how quickly the new group can absorb those demands and whether Chicago can preserve one of its biggest strengths while replacing so many familiar faces. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Prospect Pipeline Is Turning Heads For More Than One Reason
Corey Pronmans latest top-156 NHL players and prospects under 23 list offered another reminder that Chicagos rebuild has real traction. The Blackhawks had 10 players make the cut for the 2026-27 season, with Connor Bedard naturally headlining the group and the organization drawing notice for the depth of its young talent. It is the kind of prospect inventory that keeps a team interesting even when the standings have not caught up yet.
Still, the reaction around Pronmans rankings was hardly universal praise. Some of the player placements and skill grades drew criticism, which is part of what makes these lists linger beyond the usual offseason chatter. For Chicago, though, the larger takeaway is bigger than any one ranking or label, because the pipeline keeps earning attention for both its star power and the volume of names behind it. [Read more 🡒]