The Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard is not a happy phenom right now as he continues to have a prolonged scoring drought. “I could name 100 things,” he said Friday (Nov. 22) when asked what he could do better. “I don’t know, man. It’s been frustrating, for sure. I just don’t feel like I’m really doing anything.”
After the Hawks’ overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday (Nov. 23), Bedard’s frustrations continued as he has not scored a goal in 12 straight games and has been held without a point eight times over that span. He was also held without a shot for the second straight game. For someone who is used to putting up a lot of points at every level, including his rookie season, one can only imagine how frustrating this can be for a person who eats, sleeps, and breathes hockey.
Going on the assumption that Bedard is doing everything he can to be productive, it is now time for the Blackhawks to do something to give their young superstar some help in letting him play to the level everyone knows he is capable of. Here are some things that the Blackhawks should consider moving forward.
Finding a Comfortable Line for Bedard
Skating with new linemates Jason Dickinson and Joey Anderson didn’t generate a single shot on goal during Thursday’s (Nov. 21) victory over the Florida Panthers, as Bedard didn’t record a shot attempt, according to Natural Stat Trick. The same thing happened against the Flyers even after skating part of the game on a line with Taylor Hall and Teuvo Teravainen. Now might be the time to throw out the analytics and the continuous line shuffling and put Bedard with players he is comfortable playing with. The first candidate would be Nick Foligno.
It does not matter if Foligno does not “project” as a first-line forward. It also does not matter the numbers put up by the Blackhawks’ captain when he previously skated with Bedard. What matters now is that Bedard needs linemates who can help him remain calm and focused on the ice. Foligno has shown, with the youngster and the rest of the Blackhawks, that his ability to lead is as good as that of anyone in the league. The right wing gets a bit more complicated as there has not been a ton of production from their forwards, so let’s roll with Anderson for now.
Finding Bedard’s Sidekick
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl—the list goes on and on of great players who have very good or other great players with them. Even if the player is on the roster for just a few years, Bedard is in need of someone on the ice with him that can let him play to his potential.
The Blackhawks currently rank 30th in the league in goals per game (2.35) and have scored the third-fewest goals at five-on-five (30). It does not appear that anyone on the current lineup can step up and give the first line a chance to reach its full potential. The problem with the Blackhawks’ deep prospect pool is that almost all of their young talent is not ready for NHL action. However, there is one player who is making a case to get a further look in a Blackhawks sweater.
After being a late cut during the Blackhawks’ training camp, Frank Nazar has been showcasing his skills in the American Hockey League with the Rockford IceHogs. He leads them with seven goals, eight assists, and 15 points in 12 games. Nazar has some other issues to take care of in his all-around game, and the team has said publicly that they do not intend to call him up anytime soon. However, if the Blackhawks offense continues to sputter and Bedard continues to be frustrated, that could change very quickly.
Blackhawks: Time for a Trade
For a month now, the Blackhawks have been involved in some trade talk rumors, most recently involving Flyers center Morgan Frost. However, the talks revolve around getting Frost to potentially be a second-line center, not as a forward on Bedard’s line. Making a trade at this time of the year is tough for the Hawks, as teams are not as desperate to trade now. But as the season progresses, teams that want to make room on their salary cap or need some roster help could provide the kind of player who could help Bedard, even if it is just for the rest of the season.
Related: First Connor Bedard vs. Matvei Michkov NHL Matchup Is a Long Time Coming
It does not necessarily have to be a young player, someone they must sign long-term or even give up a lot for. A veteran who could play for a year or two will be very useful until Nazar, Oliver Moore or any other of their young prospects are ready to play in the NHL. For example, the Toronto Maple Leafs may soon have some roster decisions to make when a couple of players get healthy. They are also a team that could use some draft picks, which the Blackhawks have some to spare.
The player may only have to finish out the season in Chicago. The way things are going, the Hawks will be in line for a top-three draft pick again. Even though it is early, the first three projected in the 2025 Draft—James Hagens, Porter Martone, and Roger McQueen—have the potential to step into the NHL very quickly.
The Blackhawks have a couple of days off before their next game to continue to figure out how to help their young phenom get back on track. It will be an interesting next few days and even weeks to see what the Blackhawks do in order to help Bedard and their entire roster become more productive offensively.
