After entering last season as one of the oldest teams in the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks opted for a different approach for the 2025-26 campaign.
With more and more of GM Kyle Davidson’s top draft selections having arrived on the pro scene, the young players are now the priority and fill out a sizeable chunk of the NHL roster this year.
Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Ryan Greene, set to center three of the Blackhawks’ four forward lines in Tuesday’s season opener, are all 21 years old or younger. Bedard was the only one of the three to start last year in the NHL. Colton Dach, 22, and Landon Slaggert, 23, are also now full-time NHLers, and 20-year-old Oliver Moore is waiting in the wings for a call-up.
The Blackhawks’ blue line will likely be the youngest in the league, as Alex Vlasic (24), Louis Crevier (24), Wyatt Kaiser (23), Ethan Del Mastro (22), Sam Rinzel (21), and Artyom Levshunov (19) all open the season in the big leagues. Vlasic was the only one of the six on the NHL roster at the beginning of 2024-25. There’s also Nolan Allan (22) and Kevin Korchinski (21), who could get recalled from Rockford at some point during the year.
In between the pipes, 24-year-old Spencer Knight will be utilized as a true No. 1 goaltender for the first time in his career, while 26-year-old Arvid Soderblom is the backup.
The Blackhawks’ youth movement will be on full display in every position group. While that may not result in a substantial leap in the Central Division standings, it will provide a much more entertaining brand of hockey than the past few years.
Here is my projection for the Blackhawks in the 2025-26 season, in addition to a handful of predictions.
1 — The Blackhawks Are Finally Fun.. But Still Bad
With all the young talent and speed littered throughout the roster, I believe the 2025-26 Blackhawks will showcase why the future is so bright in Chicago.
Offensively, Bedard and Nazar will create a 1-2 punch down the middle that the team has been missing for almost a decade. Ryan Donato, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Teuvo Teravainen all returning to top-six roles give both youngsters a sense of comfort at the start of the season. The first and second lines will be able to pick up where they left off late last year.
While the young group of defensemen is sure to have its share of struggles, they will undoubtedly be more involved on the offensive side of things than recent Blackhawks’ D-cores. Rinzel, Kaiser, and Levshunov are all offensive-minded and quality skaters. They’ll help produce more goals for the offense this year.
Knight displayed his ability to steal games in net during the start of his tenure with the Blackhawks last season. There will be plenty of games in which Knight faces an abundance of shots, given the inexperience of the defense. But he’s certainly an upgrade at the goaltender position.
With a younger, faster, and more capable roster, the Blackhawks’ upside is much higher than it’s been for quite some time. That will lead to many more fun nights watching this team.
Unfortunately, the Blackhawks play in the deepest division in the league, and their inexperience and inconsistency will make it difficult to rise in the ranks. I’m still projecting the Hawks to finish eighth out of eight teams in the Central Division — but they will be a pesky bunch. There will be nights when they beat top NHL clubs. It just won’t happen too consistently.
2025-26 Projection — 32 Wins, 41 Losses, 9 OTL, 73 points
2 — Bedard’s First 30-Goal, 80-Point Campaign
Even though he’s still without a true top-line weapon alongside him, Bedard is poised to have the best season of his young NHL career. He notably focused more on his skating and top speed during offseason training this summer, and he looked much faster than he has in the past during the 2025 preseason.
Having a competent head coach in Jeff Blashill will also benefit Bedard, as well as the entire offense. Blashill has spent time with dominant puck-possession players like Nikita Kucherov, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond in his previous coaching stints, and his experience should help Bedard take the next step in his development.
With Nazar and Rinzel now being full-time NHLers, that also gives Bedard more talent to work with on the Blackhawks’ top power-play unit.
Add it all together, and I’m predicting Bedard to finish the season with 32 goals, 49 assists, and 81 points. Career-highs across the board for 98.
3 — Bertuzzi’s Breakout in Chicago
Bertuzzi signed a four-year contract with the Blackhawks in the summer of 2024, but he surprisingly didn’t get much of a chance to play with Bedard in his first season with the team.
That seems to be the case once again for Bertuzzi in 2025-26, as he skated on the second line with Nazar and Teravainen throughout training camp. But I actually believe that’s the perfect spot for Bertuzzi, as he’ll be able to crash the net and score greasy goals, while Nazar and Teravainen use their speed and skill to create opportunities.
Bertuzzi has always done his best work right around the crease, and he finished second on the Blackhawks with ten power-play goals last season. With Bedard, Nazar, and Rinzel being the skill players on the outside of the man advantage, I think Bertuzzi pots double-digit PPGs in the net-front role for the second consecutive year.
Bertuzzi’s familiarity with Blashill is another reason I believe he puts together a strong 2025-26 campaign. Blashill has mentioned that he’s aware of Bertuzzi being a notorious slow starter, and he hopes that won’t be the case any longer. There’s been an added intensity behind Bertuzzi getting off to a faster start this year.
Despite his inconsistent play, Bertuzzi still finished last season with 46 points, while his 23 goals were the second-most of his career. Now reunited with Blashill, in addition to a stronger preseason, I think “Bert” plays a big factor for the Blackhawks.
I’m predicting 28 goals, 26 assists, and 54 points for Bertuzzi in 2025-26.
4 — Blackhawks Finish Top Five in SHGs
Nazar, Teravainen, Ilya Mikheyev, and Sam Lafferty are all high-paced skaters who will receive time on the Blackhawks’ penalty kill this season.
Blashill’s new PK system is expected to take a month or two to become second nature for his new team, but I believe the Blackhawks will be dangerous offensively while shorthanded right from the jump.
Last season with Tampa Bay, Blashill was in charge of the Lightning’s PK unit, which finished third in the NHL with 11 short-handed goals. The Blackhawks didn’t fare too badly in that category themselves, as they were tied for 14th with six SHGs.
With Blashill’s aggressive mentality on the PK, in addition to the team’s speed, the Blackhawks will have their fair share of odd-man rushes and breakaway attempts while shorthanded.
5 — Lots of Deadline Trades, But Foligno Stays
The Blackhawks aren’t as veteran-heavy as they were last year, but they have several older players who are entering the final year of their current deals.
Mikheyev, Lafferty, Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, and Connor Murphy are all set to become UFAs at the end of the season. I think four of those five players get dealt ahead of the deadline, while Foligno is the only one to remain with Chicago.
I’ll go one step further — I believe Foligno signs a one-year contract with the Blackhawks in the spring/summer and remains as the captain for the 2026-27 season.
6 — Nazar Cracks Team USA
Probably my boldest take of the bunch, but Team USA’s fourth line at the 4Nations Face-Off was putrid. That could potentially open up a few roster spots for the Red, White, & Blue at the 2026 Olympics in Italy.
Nazar was excellent for the United States at the World Championships this past summer, where he led the team with 12 points (6G, 6A) in ten games to help win their first gold medal in the tournament since 1933. That will help get you on GM Bill Guerin’s radar.
While Nazar’s offensive output was spectacular at the WC, it’s his well-rounded nature that gives him the best shot of cracking the U.S. roster. His speed, hustle, and determination in all three zones would mesh well alongside players like Dylan Larkin and Matt Boldy, who were excellent in the bottom six at the 4Nations.
Nazar can play in all situations — five-on-five, power play, or penalty kill. His diverse skill set could be used in many ways for the Americans.
For Nazar to get an Olympic roster spot, he’ll need to get off to a fast start to the season. Fortunately for him, he was likely the Blackhawks’ best player during the preseason. He looks ready to go and will have extra motivation right from the opening faceoff on Tuesday against Florida.
Oh, while we’re talking about Nazar, here’s a prediction of his stat line for 2025-26: 22 goals, 37 assists, and 59 points.
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