{"id":584248,"date":"2026-05-26T18:45:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T18:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/584248\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T18:45:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T18:45:44","slug":"chicago-blackhawks-2025-26-player-grades-forwards-the-hockey-writers-chicago-blackhawks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/584248\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Grades: Forwards – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Chicago Blackhawks\u00a0<\/a>finished their 2025-26 campaign 31st\u00a0in the league, with a record of 29-39-14 and 72 points. It was an improvement from last season\u2019s totals of 25-46-11 (61 points), but the organization had more progress in mind when they embarked on this campaign. The good news is the Blackhawks finished with more wins and more points than the previous season. They also feel they\u2019ve taken positive strides in the growth and development of a plethora of young players, who could be a big part of a more successful future.<\/p>\n

Brooke LoFurno<\/a> and myself put our heads together to assess each forward on their 2025-26 season. Here are links to each grade, complete with player stats, a comprehensive season overview, quotes on each player and their final grade. <\/p>\n

Connor Bedard <\/p>\n

Connor Bedard\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ConnorConnor Bedard led the way for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2025-26 season. (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Head coach Jeff Blashill on Connor Bedard<\/a>\u2018s commitment to being a leader for the team: <\/p>\n

He\u2019s earned it with his commitment to winning hockey \u2026 He\u2019s very, very competitive. He works hard every day. He\u2019s got to continue being committed to winning hockey. And those are the ways that you lead.<\/p>\n

Tyler Bertuzzi<\/p>\n

Tyler Bertuzzi\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Coach Blashill on Tyler Bertuzzi<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Tyler is a foxhole guy, man. I\u2019ll take him all day, every day, on any team I\u2019ve ever coached. He\u2019s a foxhole guy, and you want him in your foxhole. And he\u2019ll stick up for himself, stick up for his teammates. He kind of embodies what we want to be as a group\u2026He\u2019s a big piece of what we want to be here.<\/p>\n

Sacha Boisvert<\/p>\n

Sacha Boisvert\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Blashill on Boisvert: <\/p>\n

I think he\u2019s a guy who can bring up physicality, he can bring an edge to our team. But with skill; he\u2019s not void of that. He\u2019s got good hands, he\u2019s got a really good shot. So he can be a power forward with skill. If that\u2019s what he becomes, he\u2019s a commodity on our team, within our young prospects, and he\u2019s a commodity in the league.<\/p>\n

Andre Burakovsky<\/p>\n

Andre Burakovsky\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s been a lot of times where maybe I could have walked away with more, and I think I just look at it, as long as I create, I\u2019m feeling good about myself. That is took this long, I don\u2019t want that, for sure. That sucked for sure. But there\u2019s been a lot of games where I felt really good. Creating a lot of chances, setting up my linemates and teammates.<\/p>\n

Ryan Donato<\/p>\n

Ryan Donato\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Donato on what he brings to the team:<\/p>\n

I would say getting pucks to the net, winning faceoffs, blocking shots, winning boards battles, getting pucks deep at the right times, turnovers, that kind of thing\u2026I think if we continue to be hungry and continue to get better, we\u2019ll continue to make games hard for the other team.<\/p>\n

Anton Frondell<\/p>\n

Anton Frondell\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Coach Blashill on what Swedish prospect Anton Frondell<\/a> brings to the table: <\/p>\n

One of the things that I\u2019ve been impressed with watching him on tape in the Swedish League, and I would say that Swedes are coached well this way; he doesn\u2019t cheat for offense. He\u2019s played pro hockey really for two years.<\/p>\n

For him, he\u2019s had to defend, he\u2019s had to be a fourth liner, he\u2019s had to do those kind of things. And so I think it helps him grow. And I think learning how to produce offense while playing a two-way game is the biggest thing to become a winning hockey team. He already kind of does that. So real good pro habits, that\u2019s gonna allow him to have success, for sure.<\/p>\n

Ryan Greene<\/p>\n

Ryan Greene\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Blashill on Greene\u2019s contributions: <\/p>\n

He\u2019s got a pretty good consistency about him defensively. With Greener, you don\u2019t get any; and this is a coaching term, you don\u2019t get any \u201cbatsh!t crazy\u201d. You kind of always know what he\u2019s going to do.<\/p>\n

More Player Grades & Quotes<\/p>\n

Sam Lafferty <\/p>\n

Sam Lafferty\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Teammates Bedard and Landon Slaggert<\/a> on Lafferty, respectively: <\/p>\n

He\u2019s one of the best people I\u2019ve ever met.<\/p>\n

Your day is better when Sam Lafferty\u2019s a part of it.<\/p>\n

Nick Lardis <\/p>\n

Nick Lardis\u2019 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Assistant coach Mike Vellucci on Lardis:<\/p>\n

You know what\u2019s great about him? He\u2019s getting better every day, and he wants to get better every day. That\u2019s a big part of it. He\u2019s a very intelligent player. He\u2019s finding ways and areas to score here compared to in the OHL and in the American League, and that takes an adjustment. But what\u2019s great about it is it hasn\u2019t taken him that long to figure it out.<\/p>\n

Andrew Mangiapane<\/p>\n

Andrew Mangiapane\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Blashill on Mangiapane: <\/p>\n

You know what Andrew\u2019s done is he\u2019s brought us into the fight a little bit \u2026 He competes hard. He plays north. He plays kind of straight ahead hockey, which sometimes we can get a little too east-west with some of our young skill. And he plays a very direct north game, and I think that helps our team a lot.<\/p>\n

Ilya Mikheyev<\/p>\n

Ilya Mikheyev\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Bedard on Ilya Mikheyev<\/a>\u2018s contributions: <\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t go under the radar in our dressing room. We understand how great he is. I think he\u2019s the best penalty killer in the league, and it shows with our penalty kill right now. He\u2019s the guy that\u2019s hopping over the boards first every time. So, it\u2019s unbelievable what he can do. His speed, his motor, the way he can get in the way of everything, and just cause havoc.<\/p>\n

Oliver Moore<\/p>\n

Oliver Moore\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Oliver Moore<\/a> at the team\u2019s exit interviews on Apr. 16: <\/p>\n

Words are momentary, intent is momentous, I like to say. It\u2019s going to be a big summer in that way.<\/p>\n

Frank Nazar<\/p>\n

Frank Nazar\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

That can be life sometimes. But you gotta get up and punch it in the balls back \u2026 So I\u2019ll keep my head high and stay humble and just continue to work and get better each day, is the key.<\/p>\n

Landon Slaggert<\/p>\n

Landon Slaggert\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

I think my speed allows me to be tenacious on pucks, and then force some turnovers on the forecheck. Like I said, I think that\u2019s something that I take pride in too. The puck is really valuable out there, and the more that we have it, the better chance we have to win the game. So the more that I can force some turnovers, get the puck for us, play some offense, the better.<\/p>\n

Teuvo Teravainen<\/p>\n

Teuvo Teravainen\u2019s 2025-26 Player Grade<\/a><\/p>\n

Nazar on linemate Teravainen: <\/p>\n

I feel like he could play forever. It doesn\u2019t matter if he can\u2019t skate or he only has one leg. Like, I feel like he just reads the ice so well and has such a good touch that, he can play wherever, anywhere, anytime. And that\u2019s a big thing. And learning to read off him, being predictable with him, it goes a long way.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts on Forward Grades for the Blackhawks<\/p>\n

Connor Bedard <\/a>from the team\u2019s exit interviews on Apr. 16:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a lot of fun. It was a blast. I\u2019m devastated the season\u2019s over. I wish we could start next year tomorrow. But I think we\u2019re excited to keep getting better together.<\/p>\n

It was a rough season for the Blackhawks. But despite finishing 31st in the league, they improved with more wins and more points. They feel they\u2019ve taken positive strides in their growth and development, and are excited for a more successful future.<\/p>\n

Keep it here at The Hockey Writers for individual player grades on the Blackhawks\u2019 defensemen and goaltenders, coming soon! <\/p>\n

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