Blackhawks who will need to step up in Bedard's absence

If you are a Chicago Blackhawks fan, you have heard plenty about Connor Bedard's injury by now. The team will be without its franchise player to begin the 2026-27 season. To state the obvious, this is not an ideal development for a young squad looking to take the next step towards competitiveness next year.

The good news is that the Bedard injury timeline may not be as bad as was initially thought. Insider Frank Seravali believes the original four-month prognosis might not be fully accurate. If Bedard's rehab goes smoothly, he could miss only a "handful" of games via Seravalli.

Regardless of the exact timeframe, Bedard will not be on the ice at the beginning of the Blackhawks' campaign. While he is out, it will have to be a next=-man-up mentality from this youth group. It will be crucial that the team survives this period, as a slow start could derail the season. Everyone will have to raise their level of play. But there will be certain players who will be counted on more than others to step up in Bedard's absence. Let's get into that main bunch.

Frank Nazar

Bedard's sidekick, Frank Nazar, will have high expectations placed on him this year. His new $6.6 million contract will kick in this season. The standard will be raised as Nazar has to show growth in year three. This will especially be the case without Bedard, as his minutes will go up. Nazar was projected to play behind Bedard and Anton Frondell in the center rotation. For now, he will be bumped back into the top six. Jeff Blashill may opt to have Nazar as the first-line center as opposed to Frondell in the meantime. This is because he has more experience and may be better equipped to handle that pressure. Either way, Nazar needs to make a jump after what was an inconsistent sophomore year for him last season.

Anton Frondell

Frondell was already going to have a spotlight on him this year, and that is now even more the case after this Bedard development. The rookie could be slated to play first-line minutes at the onset of the year. That would be quite a tall task for the Swedish teenager to have to go up against the opposition's top lines on day one. What will make Frondell's job easier is the fact that he got his initial taste of the NHL out of the way at the end of last season. Therefore, he will not be jumping into these waters completely cold. Frondell should be among the favorites for the Calder Trophy in what looks to be a stacked 2027 rookie class.

Bowen Byram

Kyle Davidson has thrown his poker chips all in on Bowen Byram. Giving up a fourth overall draft pick, plus additional assets and $75 million in the bank, shows the faith Davidson has in his abilities. Byram will have a heavy load placed on his shoulders in his new home. No player will receive more ice time in all situations than Byram next season. The fanbase will be watching his play closely in the hopes he lives up to the hype. He will need to be a play driver from the blue line; that's something this team did not have last season. Byram's life will be more difficult at the start without Bedard to work with on the power play.

Roman Kantserov

Unlike Frondell, Roman Kantserov will be going into this season without any past NHL experience to give him preparation. There is a good chance the Blackhawks roll out a top line that consists of the two rookies to open the season. Kantserov will be relied upon to produce offense, especially if Davidson does not make any further additions to this forward core. It will be hard for him, without Bedard on his line, to make that transition easier for that first batch of games. Working in Kantserov's favor is the years of experience he has playing against top competition in the KHL. If this team is getting the same version of him that lit up the Russian ranks, that will provide a huge boost to the offense. It will be interesting to see if Kantserov can challenge Frondell and company for the Calder.

Nick Lardis

Scoring goals has been a tricky prospect for this team in recent seasons, particularly when Bedard has been on the sidelines. There are few players in the Blackhawks system who have the sniping prowess that Nick Lardis has. Lardis has a release that rivals even Bedard's. He can put pucks in the back of the net. Goals will have to come from somewhere for this team; Lardis will need to rise to the plate in what will be his first full season in the big leagues. He should have a spot in the top six. He played his best hockey last year when he got that chance playing up the lineup. This is not a talent that should be buried lower in the rotation.

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