The Chicago Blackhawks had some errands to run this offseason to ensure their path to contention remained on track. The biggest task was completed when Connor Bedard signed a five-year, $75 million extension on July 18.
It was always the Hawks for Bedard, who confirmed shortly after signing that he didn’t entertain any offer sheets.
“I kind of let them know from the start (that) an offer sheet wasn’t something I was ever going to do,” Bedard said on TSN’s “OverDrive” radio show. “The risk of not being a Blackhawk wasn’t worth any amount of money.”
But the center will have to wait to begin his first season of the new deal. Bedard, 21, will miss at least one month of the regular season after undergoing left shoulder surgery following a fall into the boards while practicing in his hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia.
It’s a hiccup in the Hawks’ road to improvement for 2026-27. Here are five players who need to step up until Bedard returns.
Frank Nazar
Blackhawks center Frank Nazar stands on the ice during a break in the action against the Lightning on Jan. 23, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
It’s between Nazar and Anton Frondell for the top-line center spot while Bedard is out. Nazar, 22, didn’t lack confidence last season with his consistent off-the-puck playmaking along with being one of the Hawks’ fastest skaters.
Nazar has a good shot, but he was unable to finish in various situations throughout the season. His longest goal drought was 21 games from Oct. 30 to Dec. 12.
Nazar discovering a consistent finish would be the first step toward opening chances for others. If defenses need to worry about Nazar, that would open lanes for Tyler Bertuzzi and Patrick Kane, his potential linemates to begin the season.
Centering the top line would be valuable experience for Nazar, potentially adding to his confidence. His seven-year, $46.2 million extension has a chance to become one of the NHL’s best deals if he takes a step forward.
Artyom Levshunov
Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov looks to control the puck against the Wild on Nov. 26, 2025, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The San Jose Sharks selected center Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft. The Hawks selected Levshunov at No. 2.
Celebrini, 20, has developed into one of the NHL’s best players after totaling 115 points in 2025-26. He signed a five-year, $94 million extension and will enter 2026-27 as a popular pick for the Hart Trophy.
Levshunov, 20, also is looking to improve on his last season. But unlike Celebrini, 2025-26 was a year the Hawks defenseman would like to forget.
Levshunov’s rookie season was filled with turnovers, head-scratching decisions and losing breakaways. Quality spurts were sprinkled in, but not enough to perfect the overall picture.
He finished with 24 points (two goals, 22 assists), 84 shots on goal, 75 blocked shots and 88 giveaways. His minus-41 rating was the second-lowest in the NHL, ahead of only Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser at minus-48. Levshunov missed the last nine games after suffering a broken left hand.
A defenseman’s development is usually a longer path than a forward’s, and it should help that Bowen Byram and 37-year-old Ian Cole will serve as mentors for Levshunov. But the beginning of the season can set a tone, so the youngster needs to clean up his game fairly early.
The Hawks want Levshunov to be that dependable figure in the future, so what better time to embrace that role than the present?
Patrick Kane
Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane and general manager Kyle Davidson address the media at a news conference on July 24, 2026, at the Blackhawks Ice Center. (Arthur Maiorella/Chicago Tribune)
Welcome back, No. 88. Do you have shades of 2015-16 left in you?
The Hawks likely won’t need that MVP level of play from Kane, though it wouldn’t hurt. They just need him to continue the production he had in three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
He was one of the Wings’ most consistent players, totaling 163 points (57 goals, 106 assists) in 189 games in Detroit while averaging 17 minutes, 59 seconds of ice time.
Kane will open the season as the Hawks’ most dangerous scoring threat without Bedard. He didn’t have the highest goal total last season (16 in 67 games), but he was ever-confident in his shot, something the young Hawks still are easing into.
He had 169 shots on goal, which would’ve ranked second on the Hawks. Bedard launched 226 shots — 62 more than the next-closest Hawk, Bertuzzi (164), despite missing 13 games.
Kane, 37, figures to be the top line’s right wing alongside Nazar or Frondell. The veteran will get his first crack at bestowing his wisdom on the young centers.
Arvid Söderblom
Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Söderblom makes a save against the Lightning on Jan. 23, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
It wasn’t a good season for the 26-year-old goaltender in 2025-26, but he isn’t solely to blame. The Hawks left him out to dry at times — including in a 7-1 road loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 7, when he allowed seven goals but saved 46 shots.
Other times Söderblom was more at fault. He allowed nine goals on 31 shots in a 9-3 road loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 21.
Söderblom appeared in 26 games last season, finishing with an 8-13-3 record with a .880 save percentage, 3.80 goals-against average and his first career shutout. The Hawks averaged 2.56 goals per game in 2025-26, so while they need to score more, allowing almost four goals per game isn’t exactly a winning recipe.
This season might be Söderblom’s last chance to keep the backup role. Drew Commesso, 24, signed a two-year, $1.75 million extension on July 6 and would be a cheaper, younger option in 2027-28 and beyond.
Söderblom — who has a $2.75 million salary-cap hit — is slated to be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Bowen Byram
Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram shields the puck from the Bruins’ Tanner Jeannot during Game 4 of a first-round playoff series April 26, 2026, in Boston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty)
Byram will be the Hawks’ top defenseman after signing a six-year, $75 million contract on July 1. He wanted that role for a while, but the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar and the Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin developed into among the league’s best.
Byram has the role now. Will he be able to handle heightened expectations?
The Hawks have plenty to improve on in 2026-27, but their power play should be a priority. They were hard to watch with a man advantage, converting just 16.9% — fourth-lowest in the league — while ranking 16th with 388 minutes, 17 seconds of power-play time.
Byram, 25, likely will lead the first power-play unit — with or without Bedard. He spent time on the second unit in Buffalo and had one goal and six assists with the man advantage.
If nothing else, building scoring chances would elevate the special teams. The Hawks took the NHL’s second-fewest power-play shots (289), so changing that will be Byram’s first order of business leading the unit.
It’s one reason general manager Kyle Davidson traded the No. 4 draft pick to acquire the defenseman.
“I’m a big believer that offense starts from the back out, and adding someone like Byram to our group is going to make us a more potent offensive team,” Davidson said on July 1. “Especially someone that we feel is not only seasoned in the NHL but ready to step into a role where he’s running the power play, adding another dynamic and another level to that power play and into our special teams.”