Frank Nazar has lived up to the hype for Blackhawks

Frank Nazar is already a fan favorite for the Blackhawks, but if he keeps celebrating during scrums and brawls, he'll become a household name soon enough. Not only are his antics must-see TV, but his skills are more than enough to travel to the United Center for a game or two. Nazar currently has four goals and nine points, drives play with his speed and agility (and drawing easier matchups being separate from Connor Bedard), and has had a decent number of games where his face-off win percentage was quite good for a while, and he will learn from it moving forward.

The overall expectation for Nazar prior to the season starting was that he was finally the second young superstar forward to join Bedard. Fans and analysts alike were looking forward to seeing how he could build off of a strong end to the season, and he has done just that. Other than the face-offs, which the entire team needs to work on, I genuinely see nothing to criticize. His defense is really good for an offensive-minded player; he's trusted on the ice in every situation: even shorthanded, overtime shootout —you name it, he'll be out there.

Something to watch will have to be his improvement in the dot, which, again, all Blackhawks centers need to focus on, except maybe Jason Dickinson and Nick Foligno. Winning the face-off leads to possession in the offensive zone, allowing the team to set up faster, and in the defensive zone, the win allows a quick clear on the PK or a quick breakout play. The Blackhawks have many puck-moving defensemen on the roster, so being able to use their ability to drive breakout plays will be a must. Jeff Blashill wants his guys to play fast and hoard the puck carrier, getting in the way of passing lanes and clogging the zone. This is a great mindset, however, this can only happen after the Blackhawks become consistent with face-off wins

Blashill wants speedy guys who have winning habits, who can drive play but also backcheck like their lives depend on it. He also wants compete in his players and to not back down to the opposition, all qualities that Nazar possesses. Sure, maybe he could've helped his teammates in the scrum in St. Louis, but in exchange for memes around the nation and people noticing the Blackhawks, I guess it's a viable trade.