Way Too Early Blackhawks’ 2026-27 Forward Line Projections

We learned on Thursday (May 14) that the Chicago Blackhawks have signed top Russian prospect Roman Kantserov to an entry level contract. This is exciting news, as the club is attempting to take the next step towards contention after finishing 31^st in the league three years in a row. As the top scorer in the KHL this past season, Kantserov is one more dynamic forward to add to the Blackhawks’ arsenal. Who knows; he could be the long-awaited winger to play alongside Connor Bedard.

This has sparked some conversation on X about what the forward line combinations could look like to start the 2026-27 campaign. So without further ado, let’s dive into some projections!

Blackhawks Projected Forward Lines

Keep in mind that it’s really way too soon to be doing this. There are still so many offseason questions yet to be determined. Will the Blackhawks pick up anyone via free agency or trade? Will they re-sign some on their pending free agents? Will the No. 4 pick in the 2026 Draft be someone who’s NHL-ready?

But this is all in good fun, and something to keep us occupied while we wait. For some ground rules: I went ahead and based my projections off the existing roster. So, this is under the assumption the Blackhawks re-sign Ilya Mikheyev, as well as keep Andrew Mangiapane and Andre Burakovsky (potential buyout candidates) in the fold.

I’ll lay out my projections first below, and then go line by line with some explanations on my thought process.  

Tyler Bertuzzi – Connor Bedard – Roman Kantserov

Frank Nazar – Anton Frondell – Nick Lardis

Teuvo Teravainen – Oliver Moore – Ilya Mikheyev

Ryan Donato – Ryan Greene – Andrew Mangiapane

Extras: Landon Slaggert, Andre Burakovsky

-Sacha Boisvert starts the season with the Rockford IceHogs

First Line Thoughts

Bertuzzi – Bedard – Kantserov

We obviously don’t know where Kantserov will best fit with the team. But since there’s been so much hype around him, we might as well pencil him in on the top line. For three seasons now, Bedard hasn’t really had that elite play-making sidekick that could elevate his game. Could Kantserov finally be the one?!

In picking the third member of the trio, I wanted to consider balance in the lineup. The Blackhawks have A LOT of small forwards. Bedard (5-foot-10) and Kantserov (5-foot-9) are no exception. Neither is Nick Lardis (5-foot-11). With that said, I moved Lardis off the top line and instead deployed Tyler Bertuzzi (6-foot-2) there.

Lardis was on the top line for the last nine games of the 2025-26 season, but he honestly didn’t do much to elevate Bedard’s game. Lardis scored two goals, but Bedard scored none. Perhaps Kantserov will have more luck in this respect.

Meanwhile, wily veteran Bertuzzi can win puck battles and be that net front presence for both Bedard and Kantserov.

Second Line Thoughts

Nazar – Frondell – Lardis

Head coach Jeff Blashill really liked Anton Frondell at center. So much so, he deployed Frondell as second line center in his fourth NHL game, usurping Frank Nazar down the stretch. Nazar, for his part, played on the wing most of his career before coming to the Blackhawks. He also played wing alongside Bedard in the last game of the season.

This is why I have Nazar on Frondell’s wing on the second line. Lardis seems like a prime candidate to complement the two with his goal-scoring abilities, while not having the pressure of playing on the top line. Frondell also offers some size and strength (6-foot-1, 198 pounds) to offset two smaller players in Nazar (5-foot-10) and Lardis.  

Third Line Thoughts

Teravainen – Moore – Mikheyev

Jason Dickinson and Mikheyev acted as part of the shutdown line for the Blackhawks most of last season, with varying players on the left wing. Ryan Donato and Teuvo Teravainen played this part most frequently. The reason I went with Teravainen instead of Donato here is because Teravainen arguably offers more skill, while still being defensively responsible. Donato, on the other hand, brings a little more “fourth line” grit to his game.

I have Moore at center because the Blackhawks discovered last season he was much more comfortable and productive at center versus wing. He was given the third line center role a handful of times after Dickinson was traded, but unfortunately a lower body injury cut his season short. His speed and tenacity make him an excellent candidate to pick up this role moving forward. In my mind, Moore has the opportunity to be a breakout player for the Blackhawks this coming season with this very important role.  

Fourth Line Thoughts

Donato – Greene – Mangiapane

We already discussed above that Donato brings grit, as does Andrew Mangiapane. It makes sense to have them on the fourth line. I’m not sure if I really like Ryan Greene here, since he was on the top line with Bedard most of last season.

However, the emergence of Frondell and now Kantserov gives Blashill more pure skill players in the top-six. Could Greene still be a steady and defensively-responsible option on one of the top two lines? Absolutely! And don’t be surprised if we see Blashill experiment with this.

But at this point, I feel like Bertuzzi, Nazar, Lardis are better choices. Greene is also a good faceoff guy, and could excel stabilizing the fourth line. Let’s face it; Donato-Greene-Mangiapane on the “grit” line could be pretty dangerous offensively as well.  

Extra/Depth Forwards for the Blackhawks

Extras: Landon Slaggert, Andre Burakovsky

Landon Slaggert had a pretty under-the-radar season (3 goals, 7 points) in 2025-26. But let’s remember he’s not exactly around to score goals. He’s there to be hard to play against, which could easily slot him into the bottom-six forwards. He has one more year on a $900,000 contract, so he’s relatively low risk to keep around. It’s a bit of a prove-it year for Slaggert.

Burakovsky, on the other hand; ah the Burakovsky conundrum! He played so terrible in the second half of the season that fans are calling for the veteran to be bought out. But it doesn’t really make much sense to buy him out. He only has one more season left on his contract, and the Blackhawks could actually use his $5.5 million cap hit to help them reach the cap floor next season.

The only negative of having Burakovsky around is that he could stand on the way of a younger player’s ice time. But, he also had some super bad luck last season. Chances are he rebounds this year and earns his deployment on this roster. If not, he could actually become the new Sam Lafferty of the team; an insurance veteran that sees limited playing time. Note: This could be a potential verdict for Mangiapane also, depending on how things play out with Slaggert.

On final theory about the lineup. Sacha Boisvert suited up for seven games in the 2025-26 season. But he was also scratched a handful of times as well. I see Boisvert starting the season with the Rockford IceHogs. He might get called up along the way, but he’ll likely have to earn his stripes in the AHL first.

Final Thoughts on the Blackhawks Forward Line Projections

Again, these are very preliminary projections. We don’t know whether Mikheyev will be re-signed, or if Burakovsky or Mangiapane remain with the team. Who knows, general manager Kyle Davidson could make a big splash this offseason, acquiring another forward or two to add to the mix. Other players might be traded.

But it’s always fun to speculate what the forward line combinations will be, and this gives us a baseline to work from. Will Bedard finally have his sidekick? Who will the centers be? Which young players will earn top-six roles?  

We’ll know more as the offseason progresses, but these are all exciting questions to ponder.