Has Ryan Greene been the most impressive Blackhawks rookie?

The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks are currently the youngest team in the NHL, with a staggering average age of 24. They have had eight rookies suit up for the big club at some point during the season.

Many of those rookies carried large expectations coming into the campaign. Blueliners Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel were both pegged as potential dark-horse Calder threats by many prior to the year. Much was also expected out of Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis, coming up from Rockford, for their reputations as top prospects in the system. And in recent times, Anton Frondell and Sacha Boisvert have joined the team to conclude the season.

One player who had less expected out of him compared to the rest is Ryan Greene. However, with the way he has played, you could argue he has been the most impressive of the lot amongst those who have played the majority of the year in Chicago.

Greene has surpassed expectations

Greene's position on the 2025-26 Chicago roster was far from a certainty. After getting in just two games with the Blackhawks last season upon the conclusion of his college career, it would not have been surprising to see Ryan play with the Rockford IceHogs this year.

Nevertheless, Greene enjoyed a strong training camp and preseason. That earned him a spot on the roster, and he has taken that opportunity by storm. He has earned the trust of coach Blashill with his consistent first-line deployment. The center has spent most of the season on the wing alongside Connor Bedard.

The chemistry Greene has developed with Bedard is a huge positive. After going through a carousel of linemates in 2024-25, it has been nice to see him have a consistent linemate this season. With Greene's speed, playmaking vision, and all-around game, he has shown himself to be a valuable linemate for Bedard on a team with few options in that regard.

The numbers do not tell the story of Greene's season. While his nine goals and 17 assists in 73 games don't jump off the page, he has contributed beyond the stats sheet. He has been an effective defensive forward in his own zone and has proven himself as a guy who can be relied on on the penalty kill.

In the long run, when this team is a playoff contender, hopefully contending for Stanley Cups, Greene would probably be better utilized in the bottom six. As players like Frondell and Roman Kantserov likely slot into the top six full-time next season, this will clear the way for Greene to potentially take over the shutdown role vacated by Jason Dickinson.

In the meantime, Blashill has decided to let Greene keep working with Bedard at the top of the lineup to end this season. With Frondell joining the group, thankfully, Andre Burakovsky was demoted rather than him. We'll see how long Greene can keep that spot as Connor's wingman.

Overall, compared to the rookies who have spent substantial time with Chicago this season, Greene leads them in scoring and has been by far the most predictable. You know what you are getting with him when he is on the ice. Meanwhile, the defenseman of Levshunov and Rinzel have seen their fair share of ups and downs. Moore was enjoying a solid year himself until his unfortunate injury. Lardis has been up and down between Chicago and Rockford, but has definitely impressed of late.

Your team needs players who can be counted on down the stretch in the big moments, come playoff time, and make a few mistakes. Greene's form this year has made him a guy who should be part of this offensive rotation moving forward.