Blackhawks Shake Up Top Line: Bedard, Nazar, and Teräväinen Get Their Shot Together
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks are rolling the dice on a new top line, and it’s one that fans have been quietly hoping to see: Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Teuvo Teräväinen. It’s a trio that, on paper, brings together the team’s most dynamic offensive talents. And starting Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild, it’s finally going to hit the ice.
Believe it or not, despite all the line juggling since Bedard’s arrival, this combo has barely seen the light of day - just 9 minutes and 55 seconds of total ice time together over the past two seasons. That’s not a strategic trial; that’s more like three shifts that happened by accident.
But after a rough 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday, head coach Jeff Blashill is going back to the drawing board. This time, he’s betting big on skill.
So what makes this line so intriguing?
Start with Teräväinen. He’s the veteran here, and his hockey IQ has always been his calling card.
He sees the ice in a way few do, threading passes into space and making subtle defensive plays that don’t always show up on the stat sheet. That kind of vision could be the perfect setup for Bedard, whose shot and playmaking have made him the face of the franchise already.
Add in Nazar’s speed and offensive instincts, and suddenly you’ve got a line with the potential to tilt the ice.
“Frankie and Bedsy haven’t played a lot together - small sample size - so we’ll see how they do,” Blashill said. “I think Teuvo is a real good complement because he’s really smart, can put pucks into space for them, but also is really good defensively.”
Bedard and Nazar did get some run together last season - 253 minutes of five-on-five time, to be exact - but the results were mixed. They posted a 41.54 expected goals percentage and 40.91 actual goals percentage, per Natural Stat Trick.
Not exactly dominant, but context matters. The Blackhawks have long viewed both players as future centers, which is why they’ve mostly been kept apart.
But Bedard’s recent shoulder injury has changed the equation. He’s not taking faceoffs yet - and won’t until after the Olympic break - so the coaching staff has some flexibility to experiment.
And with the team struggling to score (two or fewer goals in seven of their last nine games), Blashill is ready to try something new. Bedard has just one goal since returning - and that was an empty-netter.
Nazar hasn’t hit the scoresheet in three games back. It’s time to shake things up.
In the past, when the Blackhawks needed a spark, they’d put Toews and Kane together. This version of the Hawks?
Nazar and Bedard are the guys they’re counting on. And Teräväinen?
He knows that history better than anyone - he skated alongside both Kane and Toews during their heyday.
“Certainly they’re our two most dynamic forwards,” Blashill said of Bedard and Nazar. “What you hope when you put lines together is the sum is greater than the parts.
Can they be exponentially better? We hope so.
The one thing I’ve got to do is give it some runway.”
That’s the key here - patience. Blashill admits he’s been tweaking lines a bit too frequently lately, trying to find the right mix. This time, he wants to give this trio at least three games to see if something clicks.
With Bedard not taking draws, Nazar will handle faceoff duties. From there, it’s all about who gets back first on defense. Whoever is low becomes the center - a fluid approach that’s worked in the past for elite duos.
“It’s harder when you’re not taking faceoffs to always be in the center position,” Blashill said. “But it’s not impossible.
I coached Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and they played great hockey together, even though both were pure centers. You just have to learn that chemistry.”
Nazar isn’t worried. In fact, he welcomes the setup.
“Honestly, it’s kind of better,” Nazar said. “It’s been that way my entire life, playing with another guy down the middle.
It helps coming back to the D-zone. If he’s the first guy back, he plays center.
If I’m the first guy back, I play center. It makes things easier and allows us to play fast.”
Bedard echoed that excitement. He’s familiar with both players - he played 10 games with Teräväinen last year and had some shifts with Nazar as well - and he’s eager to see what they can build.
“(Nazar’s) obviously a great player,” Bedard said. “Has so much speed and makes so many plays, him and Turbo (Teräväinen). I’ve played with great players all year, so it’s just about adapting to whoever I’m with.”
Teräväinen, who’s expected to return Tuesday after missing time with an injury, knows his role is to be the steady hand on the line.
“Just try to be myself, try to play good both ways,” he said. “They’re going to make a lot of things happen in the O-zone, so I’ve got to maybe be a little careful and responsible for them out there. Yeah, I’m excited - should be good.”
Nazar was just as happy to see Teräväinen back.
“Just his sick passes,” Nazar said with a grin. “I’m glad he’s back in the lineup.
Obviously he’s an Olympian, he’s got a lot of things. He’s a great player.
He’s going to help, and I’m looking to help him.”
Meanwhile, the Blackhawks made a roster move Monday, sending forward Nick Lardis back to the Rockford IceHogs. It wasn’t a knock on his play - in fact, the team was pleasantly surprised by how well he handled his first NHL stint. But with Teräväinen returning and the roster tightening up, Lardis was the odd man out.
Between Oliver Moore’s strong showing at center and Landon Slaggert carving out a role in the bottom six, there just wasn’t room to keep the 20-year-old forward up. The front office always knew he’d have to really force their hand to stick around once the lineup got healthy.
“I think he’s done a good job,” Blashill said. “He came in and early on was probably trying to find his way a little bit.
I thought he got more confident. So I think he’s done a good job of making a first impression.”
Lardis will head back to Rockford and log major minutes - and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back in Chicago later this season. He showed he can play with pace, hang with skilled linemates, and chip in offensively. That’s a strong foundation for a young player still finding his NHL legs.
But for now, the spotlight shifts to Bedard, Nazar, and Teräväinen. The Blackhawks are hoping this new line isn’t just an experiment - they’re hoping it’s a spark.