Frank Nazar compares well with Central Division rival

A good place to begin this conversation is to explain what it is that makes Frank Nazar a special player. What tools does he possess that make him unique?

Frank Nazar's Skating Separates Him From Others

First and foremost, Nazar is an exceptional skater. He uses his speed and strong base to blow past defenders in straightaways, as well as stopping and turning on a dime to play solid defense in his own zone. His skating ability sets him apart from the average player his age in the NHL, but I would argue that he also possesses a natural instinct for the game (particularly on offense) that is far beyond his years.

Watching Nazar play is beautiful. He seems to be exerting minimal effort with maximum effect whenever he is on the ice. One player that comes to mind when I think of Nazar's style of play is the St. Louis Blues' Jordan Kyrou.

Kyrou is also an exceptional skater, once defeating the legendary Connor McDavid in the NHL's "fastest skater" competition back in 2022. He isn't just fast for the sake of being fast however (the Blackhawks have had plenty of those guys... *cough* Athanasiou, *cough* Stalberg, *cough* Fortin..... sorry, alergies...). Kyrou uses his speed and agility to beat defenders, disrupting the defensive structure and allowing other skilled forwards on the Blues, like Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. to get themselves into prime scoring areas.

I could see Nazar ultimately fulfilling a similar role for the Blackhawks down the line. Imagine him on a line with Nick Lardis for example. You have the physically gifted centerman in Nazar that will do the difficult work of beating defenders and driving towards the net. Then you have a deadeye sharpshooter in Lardis taking advantage of the defender's focus on Nazar to position himself in perfect spot to snipe goals.

Jordan Kyrou Sets a High Bar

Kyrou's best NHL season to date was 2021-2022, scoring 27 goals and 75 points in 74 games. For those mathematicans among you, that's a point per game season. He has also since had seasons where he potted 37, and 36 goals. This may be a lofty point expectation for Nazar, but why not think big? This is a great young player with very similar tools to Kyrou. I don't see why Nazar couldn't have a similar effect on the scoresheet, especially as more of the Hawks young prospects enter the NHL, like Lardis, Roman Kantserov and Anton Frondell.

Ultimately, Nazar will be himself. Comparing him to a player like Kyrou is only useful as a template of what he could possibly be in the NHL. It is important to note however that if Nazar doesn't quite become the scorer that Kyrou is, it's okay! Remember, there are many ways to impact a hockey game, and while the most obvious is scoring goals and getting assists, many great forwards have made hall-of-fame careers through other means.

I would be willing to bet that many of you don't realize that Jonathan Toews never once had a point per game season... He came very close in 2018-2019 when he had 81 points in 82 games, but he never quite achieved that benchmark. But is anyone willing to say that Toews isn't a hall-of-famer because of that? I seriously doubt it.

So if Nazar can play a Kyrou-style of hockey and consistently get 20+ goals and 30+ assists, I'll be pretty darn happy with that guy on my team. Especially if he is using his exceptional physical attributes to play great defense too. The sky is the limit for Nazar as a complete hockey player, and the Blackhawks were very wise to lock him up long term as they did. I predict that after this coming season, we will consider Nazar's $6.6 million per year deal to be an absolute steal.