Is Frank Nazar really the Blackhawk's future second-line center?

Frank Nazar, drafted at number 13 overall in 2022, signed a multi-year deal at $6.599 million, and was touted as one of the Blackhawks' one-two punch with Connor Bedard. This season displayed a glimpse of what Nazar is capable of; however, his lack of production as of late is a concern. With Bedard out for an extended period of time, Nazar is expected to step up.

Is Frank Nazar really a first-line center?

He hasn't been able to control the play in the offensive zone, be the go-to guy on the power play, set his guys up for success, and take control of games. He has a lot of speed, but the team can't take advantage of the fact that he's faster than most of the guys on the ice at any given time. Even when they can make a bank pass off the boards to send him off to the races, the opposition can jam him against the end boards, ending the play.

He is currently on the dubbed "Kid Line" with Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis at the moment, and each one of them can fly. The issue is that they can't seem to use that speed properly. When they attempt to break out from their own zone, they get stifled almost immediately. The problem lies in their attempt to carry the puck in on the entry rather than use the boards for the other guys. They are smaller, so it would be difficult to enter the zone with the puck, given that they can get laid out by the bigger opposition. While they have been able to produce chances, they have to be more active in the zone to annoy the opposition.

When I think of the "Kid Line," I want to think of them as a line that keeps moving, almost like gnats in the summer. They're so fast, it's hard to get a piece of them, and they're annoying to keep track of in the zone. You never know who is where because no one stops, using their speed and their youth to their advantage. Maybe this will happen soon, but I doubt it.

Back to Nazar. To be considered the sidekick of Bedard and not lose that title as the rest of the reinforcements start to make their way to North America, he has to show what he can do with the puck. He is more of a two-way player, so consistent production isn't likely; however, he has to be more of a threat. Could he be a playmaker and set up Lardis for one-timers, which is what the kid is known for? Could he set Moore up on a breakaway by taking the defender's eyes off him, allowing Moore to break into the zone with his signature speed?

As it stands, the Blackhawks don't have a consistently dangerous center (or forward, at that) with Bedard out. Not scoring for almost two months is concerning, but his lack of assists is even more concerning. His scouting report notes how he can suck defenders in to make a 2-1 for his linemates, so where has that been? While he is on pace for 52 points in his first full season with the team, I would have assumed he would be playing to his strengths more, showing what he did last year and early this year on a nightly basis. Anyone can have a bad game, but if Nazar's "B" game is exponentially worse than his "A", then dark times are ahead.