Andre Burakovsky might be the playmaker Connor Bedard needs to get off to a hot start

It is still very early in training camp, but Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill may have indicated what the team's top line will look like on Opening Night next month.

Blashill had veterans Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Donato paired up with star center Connor Bedard on the first line during the first day of camp.

This was not a random decision, according to Blashill.

""[Burakovsky is] really good at bringing pucks up through the neutral zone. I think he can play off Connor. There’s a give-and-go component to his game, so it could be a good match there. Donato is a good scorer.""

Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill

Burakovsky and Donato may not seem like the ideal running mates for Bedard's elite talent. Given the youthful complexion of the roster, it makes sense for Blashill to surround Bedard with two dependable veterans. Also, Daily Face Off projects those three to be the team's first line when the Blackhawks take on the Florida Panthers during next month's season premiere.

Burakovsky does have a history of setting up his teammates to put the puck in the back of the net. Leveraging Burakovsky's passing ability might allow Bedard to get out of the gate strong.

Outside of his injury-plagued 2023-24 season with Seattle, Burakovsky has registered double-digit assists during his 11-year career, which includes stints with Washington and Colorado.

He registered a career-high 39 assists during the 2021-22 season with the Avalanche, where he also won his second Stanley Cup.

Although he must stay healthy to produce those numbers, because his time with Seattle was riddled with injuries.

A groin injury limited him to 49 games in the 2022-23 season, and an upper-body injury in the 2023-24 season reduced him to 49 games, too.

He underperformed relative to his $5.5 million salary last season when he finally skated in 79 games. Burakovsky posted 10 goals and 27 assists, and he became expendable when the Kraken acquired Mason Marchment in the offseason.

The Blackhawks saw an opportunity to add a bigger forward that the roster needed, and the team's vast cap space allowed the organization to easily absorb his cap number.

Can play with good players with his skillset

Blashill wants to leverage Burakovsky's size and speed to spark his 2-1-2 offensive attack on the top line. With his straight-line speed and 6'3" frame, it is hard to knock him off his path toward the goal once he gets going. That is what makes him an appealing choice to pair up with Bedard.

Bedard does not have to be the primary puck-handler to start an offensive attack. Instead, he can skate to open spots on the ice and wait for Burakovsky to slip him a pass to unleash Bedard's lethal slap shot.

Playing with great players is one reason Burakovsky is on this team.

General manager Kyle Davidson acquired Burakovsky based on his background of playing well with elite talent. He has been teammates with Alex Ovechkin in Washington and Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado.

The one area where he might not be a great fit in Blashill's system is on the forecheck. Despite his size advantage on the ice, he is not known for being very physical.

Blashill is looking for players to compete for pucks along the boards and create turnovers that lead to a counterattack. That is not where Burakovsky shines.

He shines with his wrist shot and ability to play well on the offensive side of the ice.

One drawback of him possibly being an ideal linemate for Bedard is that Burakovsky tends to produce his best on the third line, per JFresh Hockey.

That is why I am looking for Burakovsky to help get Bedard get his scoring going early in the season. I hope that some of the younger players, like Oliver Moore or Nick Lardis, eventually shine enough to push Burakovsky down to his ideal spot on the third line.