“What does Frank [Nazar] get ripped for by the teammates?” – Elliotte Friedman
“A lot of stuff. He’s very outgoing. He’ll say something stupid a lot or do something stupid.” – Connor Bedard
“So Frank what’s the stupidest thing you said this year?” – Friedman
“I don’t know. I think only say stuff that’s smart.” – Frank Nazar
This exchange on a recent 32 Thoughts interview with Bedard and Nazar will bring a smile to your face. Nazar’s known for his goofy, happy-go-lucky attitude that mirrors his sparkplug energy on the ice. He’s endeared himself to his teammates and Chicago Blackhawks fans in his short NHL career.
Related: Blackhawks Learning Important Lessons Amid Four-Game Losing Streak
You’d never guess that such friendly banter would come amidst a 20-game goal drought for Nazar, a player who started the season with 11 points in the first 10 games. The temptation for any 21-year-old forward in his first NHL season would be to shut down, turn inward, and lose confidence.
Nazar doesn’t think that way. He’s the same person whether or not he scores a goal every game. While he and the Blackhawks experience the highs and lows of a full NHL season, Nazar embodies in one player what we are watching the entire team endure: maturation through experience.
The Promising Start
Nazar signed a seven-year, $46.2 million contract extension this summer, a long-term commitment to a player who had only played 56 NHL games. He quickly backed up Kyle Davidson’s decision by scoring five goals and six assists in 10 games to start the season. In fact, Nazar’s play made the contract look like a bargain.
The Blackhawks didn’t experience immediate team success. Still, behind Bedard and Nazar’s stellar play (backstopped by goaltender Spencer Knight), the team managed an 8-8-0 record one month into the season. Confidence remained high because the team competed every night and secured momentous victories over opponents like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Nazar scored 5 goals in the first 10 games of the season. (Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports)
Similarly, although Nazar’s goal drought dated back to Oct. 28, he played solid hockey throughout the stretch. As Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus reported, he logged “46 shots on goal, 88 shot attempts, 56 scoring chances (second on the team only to Bedard’s 74) and 28 high-danger chances (second only to Bedard’s 29)” (from ‘Blackhawks power rankings: Bedard’s shoulder, Nazar’s slump, Levshunov’s alarm clock,’ The Athletic, December 18, 2025).
Both Nazar’s and the Blackhawks’ starts to the season looked promising because the development process was playing out exactly as needed. No one expected perfection. Goal droughts, while frustrating, happen to the best players. Losing streaks occur, especially for a team (hopefully) emerging from the dregs of a rebuild. Nevertheless, the signs of growth shone through the mistakes. This season looked and felt different than last season.
An “Everyday” League
Eventually, no matter how positive an attitude you have or how competitively a team plays, frustrations and mistakes do catch up. After all, the NHL is the best hockey league in the world, and opponents will capitalize on every opportunity given, especially when you fail to convert.
Nazar’s and the Blackhawks’ momentum began to grind to a halt about one month ago. A five-game losing streak commenced on Nov. 20 with a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. The Blackhawks gave up three unanswered goals in the third period to let a two-goal lead slip. Nazar registered only his third point in the last eight games. Bedard took a late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that eventually led to the game-winning goal. And head coach Jeff Blashill commented after the game on his team’s preparation.
We had too many guys who weren’t ready. I talk all the time (that) it’s an everyday league, and we had too many guys who weren’t ready to compete and play hard hockey. We told them it wasn’t going to be an easy night, and too many guys went out there and acted like it was the flow drill that we ran in the pregame skate.
That Blashill questioned the team’s compete simultaneously highlighted his standards and emphasized that previously it hadn’t been an issue. The Blackhawks remained competitive in most games up to that point. Blashill equally dolled out praise for his players when they did so. But his emphasis on “it’s an everyday league” further illustrates how much developing the team needs to do.
Nazar exemplifies this.
Again, while Nazar played decently throughout his goal drought, the fact remains that the NHL’s best find ways to impact games even when they aren’t scoring. Clearly, it’s easier said than done. Nazar is realizing that just as the team is realizing what it means to show up “every day.”
Unfortunate Timing
Unfortunately, since that loss, the Blackhawks have won only three of their previous 15 games. This slump, which includes a current four-game losing streak, has propelled the team to the bottom of the NHL standings.
Nazar has notched seven points in that span, including his drought-snapping goal against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. But a shoulder injury to Bedard that has sidelined him until at least after the New Year, alongside some tough showings like a 7-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, has fans concerned that the team is backsliding to last season’s form.
Matters went from bad to worse when Nazar took a puck to the face on Saturday, which will keep him out for four weeks.
Frank Nazar takes a puck to the chin/cheek area and heads immediately to the locker room. Looks like a pretty decent gash. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/V3Kfg1Vjt1
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 20, 2025
Gosh, if anything demonstrates how fickle life in the NHL can be, it’s this stretch of hockey for Nazar. He finally snapped a 21-game goal drought and then suffered an injury that can only be described as bad puck luck (much like the poor puck luck he endured during the drought).
That’s life in the business, though. Perhaps the respite will reset Nazar. He must learn to battle through mental and physical adversity. He’s certainly had a healthy dose of both this season. Fortunately, his mentality and commitment to the process haven’t wavered.
The Blackhawks need a recommitment to that as a team.
Still, Trust the Process
Two things can be true at once: the Blackhawks haven’t done themselves any favors with their play, and circumstances out of their control have dealt them a challenging hand. Missing two star players can stall even the best teams. Ask the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers have won back-to-back Stanley Cups because instead of unravelling, they come together and stick to the process. The Blackhawks must do the same for the positive momentum of this rebuild to continue.
Blashill has remained consistent in that message. Nazar’s positively infectious attitude is indeed being tested. He and the Blackhawks are being forged in the fire of adversity. Now is the time to prove that heat will transform rather than break them down.
