The Hockey News’ 2026 Yearbook paints a familiar picture for the Chicago Blackhawks: eighth in the Central Division again.
That projection doesn’t line up with where the Blackhawks want to be, especially after the offseason moves they made. But it does set the stage for a team with room to beat the forecast if its young core takes a real step forward.
One of the most intriguing names in the mix is Anton Frondell. The buzz around him has been building, thanks in part to how he arrived and the way he finished last season.
The Blackhawks are operating as if Frondell is a center, and his two-way game is viewed as a strength. The question is how quickly that translates into production in all three zones as a rookie.
Roman Kantserov is the other rookie who stands out. His unknown factor is exactly what makes him so interesting.
The Blackhawks are hoping the KHL’s leading goal scorer from a year ago can carry that finishing touch into the NHL. Both Frondell and Kantserov are projected as Calder Trophy types, and both are expected to be leaned on in different ways.
On the blue line, The Hockey News picked Sam Rinzel as the Blackhawks’ X-Factor heading into the 2026-27 season. Bowen Byram is the new No. 1 defenseman, and Alex Vlasic brings stability, but Rinzel’s ceiling is what could give the group another level.
Artyom Levshunov is also part of that conversation. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2024 has the talent to matter in a big way, but he still needs to sharpen his decision-making to fully unlock it.
As for the scoring race, Connor Bedard is projected to miss the first month or so while recovering from shoulder surgery, yet he still comes out as the team’s leading scorer with 71 points. That would be better than a point per game, even with the missed time built in.
If Chicago is going to push for the playoffs, or even get close, Bedard likely has to beat that number and return sooner than expected.
Behind him, Bowen Byram is projected for 59 points, the most among defensemen. Anton Frondell follows at 57, with Frank Nazar and Teuvo Teravainen both at 49 to finish the top five. If those totals hold, it’s hard to see the Blackhawks climbing much higher than that eighth-place projection.
The rest of the young group will matter too. Roman Kantserov, Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis are among the players who will need to exceed expectations if Chicago is going to win significantly more games.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Just Raised A Bigger Kevin Korchinski Question
Kevin Korchinskis place in the Blackhawks future got a little clearer and a little more complicated all at once. Chicago signed the restricted free agent defenseman to a new deal after a stretch in which he has bounced between the NHL and AHL, the kind of pattern that has made him easy to project as part of the long-term picture but harder to pin down in the short term.
The Blackhawks already have several young defenders with upside, and Korchinski still carries the weight of being the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. What makes his situation worth watching now is less about whether he belongs in the organization and more about where he fits when the roster decisions get tighter, especially with his role still unsettled and the team trying to sort out how its blue line will take shape over the next couple of seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Just Got A New Central Division Reality Check
The Central Division picture is already getting a little clearer for the Blackhawks, and it starts with the kind of headline Chicago cannot ignore. Colorado locked up one of the NHLs premier defensemen on a long-term deal, a move that reinforces how high the bar still sits in a division that figures to shape the Blackhawks path for the 2026-27 season. For a Chicago team still measuring itself against the top of the bracket, these are the sorts of decisions that matter well beyond one franchises roster sheet.
Elsewhere on the Blackhawks orbit, former forward Reese Johnson found a new landing spot after re-signing with the Toronto Marlies on a two-year AHL contract. It is a reminder that Chicagos recent cast of players continues to ripple through the league and its affiliates, even as the bigger question remains the same for the Hawks: how much ground can they close on the teams that keep setting the standard in their own division? [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Are Asking Bowen Byram To Prove Something Fast
Bowen Byram arrives in Chicago with a clear assignment attached to him: become the defenseman the Blackhawks can build around. After coming over from Buffalo, he is being counted on to fill a top-pairing role for a rebuild that needs impact talent to arrive quickly, and the organization is treating him as a central piece rather than a supporting one.
The move also gives Byram a different kind of opportunity than he had in Buffalo, where the path to being the No. 1 defenseman was blocked. Chicago is asking him to prove he can handle that responsibility fast, and the early answer will matter because the Blackhawks are leaning on him to help set the tone for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]