Connor Bedard may be the face of the Chicago Blackhawks, but the next step for this team won’t come from one star alone. If Chicago is going to keep climbing, it needs young players to turn promise into production, and there are a few names who could do exactly that in 2026-27.
Bowen Byram is one of the most obvious candidates. Chicago handed Seth Jones a big contract in July 2021, and that move never really delivered the way the organization hoped.
Byram arrives with newly minted playoff experience from the Buffalo Sabres and the chance to become the kind of No. 1 defenseman the Blackhawks have been chasing. A top-pairing role next to Alex Vlasic could help smooth his transition, and his history alongside players like Cale Makar in Colorado and Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo only adds to the intrigue.
His special-teams ability makes him even more worth watching.
Roman Kantserov is another name with real breakout potential. The 44th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft has been playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Kontinental Hockey League and signed his entry-level contract with Chicago on May 21.
His hockey IQ, versatility, and slippery puck skills could earn him an NHL roster spot, possibly straight out of training camp. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson put it plainly: “He’s a major piece that we’re just really, really excited about,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said.
“Have a lot of faith in what he’s going to do for us.” (from “How Blackhawks’ Roman Kantserov is fast-tracking his jump from Russia to the NHL,” The Athletic, June 9, 2026).
Frank Nazar is in line for a bigger opportunity right away because Bedard will miss the start of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery. That opens the door for Nazar to center the top line, and he already showed enough steadiness last season to suggest he can handle it.
He could end up driving the team’s scoring during Bedard’s absence, and maybe even after Bedard returns. “That’s the chemistry and what we’re building here in Chicago,” Nazar said.
“A lot of guys come in and fit in right away.” With the right linemates, the offense should come easier.
Anton Frondell is headed into his first full NHL season after making his debut in March 2026 following the jump from the Swedish Hockey League. Chicago’s new core is starting to take shape around Bedard, Vlasic, and Nazar, and Frondell fits that next wave cleanly.
His game lines up well with the direction the Blackhawks are taking, and that gives him a real path to a breakout year. “During my first games playing with Connor [Bedard] and [Ryan Greene], I ask questions between every shift like ‘did I do it right’ because everything was so new,” Frondell said.
“They’ve been taking care of me, showing me around and stuff, so I felt very welcomed.”
Nick Lardis rounds out the group, and he already has a built-in connection with Blackhawks fans from his days in the Ontario Hockey League. In 2024-25 with the Brantford Bulldogs, he piled up 117 points, including 71 goals and 46 assists, and added 15 points in the playoffs.
That kind of output is hard to ignore. The 67th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft brings speed, a heavy shot, and the ability to create offense from just about anywhere on the ice.
He made his NHL debut on Dec. 13, 2025, the day after Bedard injured his shoulder in St. Louis, and he’s kept showing the same aggressive edge in the offensive zone.
“I think I learned a lot,” Lardis said. “Not a lot of on ice stuff, but even just how to be a pro off the ice I think was important.”
If he gets enough ice time and keeps building physically, he has the tools to finish among the Blackhawks’ top five in points.
In Other News...
Connor Bedards Growing Pull Says Everything About The Blackhawks Direction
The Blackhawks summer has already shown how much the organization is leaning into Connor Bedard not just as its franchise centerpiece, but as a voice worth hearing when the front office shapes the roster. General manager Kyle Davidson said he consulted Bedard on decisions, including the signing of Patrick Kane, a sign that the team sees the young star as part of the conversation now rather than someone to simply build around in the future.
For Chicago, that kind of involvement says plenty about where the rebuild stands and how Davidson wants it to feel for the players inside the room. In a league where management often keeps the decision-making behind closed doors, giving Bedard input on major moves sends a clear message about trust, accountability and the direction the Blackhawks want to sell to the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Anton Frondell Could Be Filling A Huge Blackhawks Need Soon
Anton Frondells first NHL season gave the Blackhawks a glimpse of why they are so intrigued by his long-term fit down the middle. After beginning on the wing, he spent the back half of his debut trying to handle the demands of center, and the early returns were encouraging enough to keep the organization talking about him as more than just another young forward. In 12 games, he showed enough hockey sense and awareness for the coaching staff and general manager to view him as a potential two-way pivot.
The next step is less about flash than the details that make centers reliable, and Frondell knows it. He has been working on his faceoff game ahead of next season, a small but important part of earning trust in that role, especially for a Blackhawks team that could use another center who can handle both ends of the ice. If he keeps progressing there, the conversation around him could shift from promise to real opportunity sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Fans Just Got A Dustin Byfuglien Reminder Theyll Love
Dustin Byfuglien has been keeping busy away from hockey, and his latest appearance offered a familiar reminder of why his name still lands with Blackhawks fans. The former Chicago defenseman took part in the 2026 Kenora Bass International fishing tournament and finished in the top 30, adding another outdoor venture to a post-NHL life that has stayed pretty far from the rink.
Still, the old hockey itch has not disappeared entirely. At the event, Byfuglien was asked about taking part in the Winnipeg Jets alumni tournament and answered with his usual sense of humor, leaving the door open without committing to anything. It has been years since he last played in the NHL, but for Blackhawks followers, the memory that still matters most is the towering role he played in Chicago's 2010 Stanley Cup run. [Read more 🡒]