The Chicago Blackhawks have been dealt a tough blow with the recent losses of top players Connor Bedard (shoulder) and Frank Nazar (shot to the face). Their two best offensive players, and the No. 1 and No. 2 centers at that, will be sidelined until sometime after the first of the new year and mid-to-late January, respectively.
But the show must go on, and the Blackhawks need to carry on without them, still trying their best to win hockey games. “You gotta start kind of looking at a different way to play, said head coach Jeff Blashill ahead of Tuesday’s game versus the Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s just simplifying things and playing a little more direct.”
While no one specific player can replace Bedard or Nazar, there are a few who could directly benefit in their absence. Players that will be given more responsibility and ice time, who could take advantage of an opportunity they might not have been otherwise be given. Let’s take a look at four such players.
Ryan Donato
I’ve left the more veteran players off this list, mainly because they will be tasked with basically doing the same thing they’ve always done. Andre Burakovsky will still need to transport the puck through the neutral zone, and Tyler Bertuzzi has to get in front of the net and cause havoc. Granted, it might be harder to do this without Bedard and Nazar, but it’s the same responsibility once it’s all said and done. Teuvo Teravainen, Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev are still being asked to comprise the shutdown line that’s responsible defensively, while always being a threat to score.
But Ryan Donato is a veteran player who’s been playing on the fourth line most of the season, as a depth player. He has, however, played farther up in the lineup in the past. With the lack of personnel, he was tasked with centering a line between Teravainen and Burakovsky last Tuesday (Dec. 26) against the Flyers.
Donato always seems to rise to the occasion when needed, and this night was no different. He scored the lone goal of the night for the Blackhawks, as well as recording a team-high five shots on goal and seven shots attempts. His 21:35 minutes of ice time was highest among all forwards, plus he won 8-of-10 faceoffs for an 80% success rate in the faceoff circle.
Donato had a career season in the 2024-25 campaign, contributing 31 goals and 62 points for the Hawks, prompting a four-year, $16 million contract extension this past summer. The 29-year-old versatile forward is certainly someone the Blackhawks can lean on to provide more offense, and lead by example, while Bedard and Nazar are out.
Oliver Moore
Let’s face it; while Donato is in the fold for another three seasons after this one, he’s not exactly the future of the franchise. There are younger forwards just getting their feet wet in the NHL who are getting a larger role now with Bedard and Nazar sidelined. The next three names on my list include these very talented, albeit rather green players, who should be receiving an opportunity to step up. Let’s start with the speedy Oliver Moore.
Moore had a strong training camp, but the Blackhawks’ depth was such that didn’t get a spot on the opening night roster. Instead, he was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs to hone his craft and wait until an opportunity arose with the big club. The 20-year-old dominated with the IceHogs, posting six goals and nine points in just nine games. This prompted a call-up to the Blackhawks on Nov. 3, in conjunction with Dickinson being placed on injured reserve.
Moore has held his own, posting three goals and nine points in 24 games with the Blackhawks. He’s mostly been paired up with Nazar, with the thought that their speed can complement each other. But that hasn’t seemed to take off as well as planned, and of course now Nazar is sidelined.
Related – Blackhawks Could Get Spark From Oliver Moore’s Recall From IceHogs
The young forward has since been deployed on what I’ve been calling the “Kid Line”, with Ryan Greene at center and Nick Lardis on the other wing. Coach Blashill at first indicated he liked this line because of their age and familiarity with each other.
I wanted them to all be comfortable. I wanted him (Lardis) to be comfortable. I think sometimes when you come up and play your first game, you start deferring. He’s played with Mooresy this year, Greener, they’re similar ages, so just come up and just play. And I thought they did a good job of that.
But on the other side of the coin, it’s a lot to ask three young guys to carry play when they’re all so new to the NHL. Perhaps line combinations with more of a balance between veterans and forwards is in order. Regardless, 20-year-old Moore has an opportunity to carve out more of a role for himself.
Nick Lardis
This leads us to Lardis, who was called up on Dec. 13 after Bedard suffered his shoulder injury. This 20-year-old took a similar path as Nazar. He started the season with the IceHogs, contributing 13 goals and 26 points in 24 games (Nazar registered 11 goals and 24 points in 21 games with the IceHogs the previous season). Coincidentally, or perhaps not, they were both called up on Dec. 13, just one year apart. Before Moore was recalled to the Blackhawks, he and Lardis enjoyed some great chemistry and production together on the IceHogs top line, alongside journeyman Brett Seney.
Related – Blackhawks’ Prospect Nick Lardis is Equipped for 1st Pro Season
Lardis is known for his scoring touch; he notched 71 goals in 65 games last season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League. It took him four games, but he registered his first NHL goal on Dec. 20 versus the Ottawa Senators.
if you need us we'll be watching this goal on repeat🤩 pic.twitter.com/vGZYtsggfs
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 20, 2025
What’s important to remember about Lardis is that his callup was directly correlated with Bedard being injured. Teammate Jason Dickinson but it best when asked about what Lardis could contribute.
So it opens an opportunity for Lards to get some looks. In a situation where otherwise Lards might not get power play-one time (first unit), he might not get a top-six role. This opens the door that he gets kind of handed a job to, not run free with, but to say, hey, this is an opportunity given to you under the circumstances that may not have been here otherwise. So take advantage of it. Because I’ve found often that this league is based on opportunity, and when the opportunity comes knocking, be ready to take it.
We’re only five games into Lardis’s NHL career, which shows great promise. But he’s only averaging 12:05 minutes so far, as Coach Blashill has leaned more on his veterans in the past few games. Time will tell just how Lardis is deployed moving forward, and whether he’ll have more opportunities to make an impact.
Ryan Greene
The player that’s impressed the most and already been given plenty of opportunities is Greene. The 22-year-old was supposed to start the season in Rockford, but was immediately recalled due to lingering injuries to both Landon Slaggert and Joey Anderson. He started the season on the fourth line, and somewhat on the bubble. But his two-way play and affinity for winning faceoffs impressed Blashill. Not only that; but he built some chemistry with Bedard, who was often double shifting on Greene’s line.
By the end of October, Greene was playing on the top line alongside Bedard and Burakovsky, and not looking out of place. He was also a regular member of the power play and the penalty kill.
When Bedard was injured, Greene was initially put on a line with Moore and Lardis, as previously mentioned. But when Nazar went out early in the game versus the Ottawa Senators, Greene was asked to step up big time. He took Nazar’s spot as the top line center and ended up playing a season-high 22:46 minutes. This included contributing 2:26 minutes on the power play and 4:01 minutes on the penalty kill. He also took a team-high 26 faceoffs (winning 10 of them), and contributed two shots on goal, two hits and one blocked shot. He ended the night with two helpers, for the first multi-point game of his career.
Considering Greene’s strong two-way play and ability to win faceoffs, he likely has the most to gain with Bedard and Nazar out. While he’s thought of as more of a bottom-six player, he’s already been playing in a top-six role, and thriving there. It makes sense to slot him in as the No. 1 or No. 2 center, alongside more veteran players that can better support him.
Related – Frank Nazar’s Highs & Lows Mirror Blackhawks Development & Maturation
All four of the above players will be asked to step up while Bedard and Nazar are sidelined. Based on how well they do that, they will have an opportunity to receive more minutes and added responsibility. Especially with the three younger players, they’re going to make mistakes and have their struggles. But if handled correctly, the experience should be an invaluable aspect of their learning curve and forward progression.
The Blackhawks have three more games in December, starting with the Dallas Stars on Saturday, Dec. 27. They also have a busy slate of games in January, where we don’t know yet how many contests they’ll be without Bedard and Nazar. In the meantime, the progression and contributions of the above four players should be something to watch.
