What the Chicago Blackhawks forward lines currently looks like for next season

The Chicago Blackhawks' defensive unit looks promising for next season. The forward group, on the other hand, could use some upgrades this offseason.

Former head coaches Luke Richardson and Anders Sorenson were constantly shuffling the top line around Connor Bedard. Not establishing consistent linemates was one reason Bedard had a slight regression to start the season, and that cost Richardson his job.

It would be nice to find some free agent upgrades to make new head coach Jeff Blashill's life a bit easier when it comes to helping Bedard go from phenom to bona fide superstar.

That is why it would be great for the Blackhawks to dump a ton of cash in front of top free agent Mitch Marner. Imagine the goal production those two would produce on the top line. Alas, he might be too expensive.

That does not mean the Hawks cannot still find some upgrades by pursuing pending free agents such as Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser, or Sam Bennett. The key is that the front office must sign one of those guys. It cannot be another bargain bin shopping offseason.

The team must also bring back pending free agent Ryan Donato. He may not match his career season, but it is vital to bring him back since the team chose not to trade him before the deadline. He still does a lot of the little things well, where it would be a major loss if he departs with the team getting nothing in return.

Right now, if the Blackhawks make no upgrades, this is what the lines could look like next season...

Top Line: Tyler Bertuzzi-Connor Bedard-Oliver Moore

Second Line: Teuvo Teravainen-Frank Nazar-Ilya Mikheyev

Third Line: Landon Slaggert-Jason Dickinson-Ryan Greene

Fourth Line: Nick Foligno-Joe Velano-Lukas Reichel/Colton Dach

Right away, it is clear that the Blackhawks must add at least two veteran forwards with Moore and Greene penciled in here.

The front office has made it clear that it prefers to have the team's youngsters get some refinement time in Rockford. It would not be surprising to see Moore and Greene follow the same development path the club used with Nazar and Slaggert this season.

All four got cups of coffee with the NHL club when they signed their entry-level contracts. Nazar and Slaggert then spent some time in Rockford to start their first full pro season, so expect the same with Moore and Greene.

While Nazar and Bedard showed some chemistry on the top line when paired together, the team still hopes Nazar can be the second-line center (subscription required) with Bedard centering the top line.

Also, signing Donato would provide some cover up-and-down the lines in case Reichel has another inconsistent season, Dach suffers more injuries, and Greene and Moore show in the preseason they need time in Rockford.

That is why taking a look at what the Hawks currently have under contract is further proof that the team must upgrade their forward talent and bring back Donato.