10 Impact Players Already on the Blackhawks’ 2026-27 Roster – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t have the 2025-26 season they would’ve liked, finishing 31^st in the league for the third year in a row. On top of that, they dropped in the Draft Lottery to selecting fourth overall. Draftees who could potentially join the NHL and make an impact as soon as next season, such as Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg, likely won’t be available at No. 4. Plus, we know from the rising salary cap that the ability to land a big fish in free agency or via trade is a lot harder than it used to be.

So, are the Blackhawks up a creek without a paddle? Are they just spinning their wheels trying to build almost exclusively through the draft and developing from within? Well, it’s the long game; that’s for sure. But we just might be seeing this endless rebuild turning a corner. I argue there are 10 impactful players already on the roster for the 2026-27 season.

Connor Bedard

Let’s start with the obvious, Connor Bedard. Where Bedard goes, this team goes. The first overall pick from the 2023 Draft has been the new face of the franchise since he joined the organization three seasons ago.

The 20-year-old had a career 2025-26 campaign, amassing 30 goals, 45 assists and 75 points, despite missing 13 games with a shoulder injury. He worked on his speed and explosiveness during the offseason and came back an even more dynamic player.

Beyond that, Bedard served as an alternate captain after the former leadership group of Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson all left the team at the trade deadline. It’s a foregone conclusion Bedard will be appointed as the team’s captain ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. As head coach Jeff Blashill says, he’s earned it with his commitment to playing winning hockey.  

Bedard has become more confident and more comfortable in his skin and his leadership abilities. He’s also due what will likely be a huge contract extension, further cementing his place in Chicago. The future looks bright with him leading the way.

Frank Nazar

Another young forward who’s emerged as a potential game-changer is Frank Nazar. After notching 12 goals and 26 points in 53 games during the 2024-25 season, Nazar inked a lucrative seven-year contract extension (starting this coming season) with an annual cap hit of $6.59 million. This has put some pressure on the 13^th overall pick from the 2022 Draft, and some feel he hasn’t yet lived up to expectations.

It’s true Nazar was streaky this past season. He went through a stretch of 21 games in November and December without a goal. But in contrast, he also began the campaign with five goals and 11 points in the first 10 games. Starting on Mar. 3 through Apr. 6 (a span of 18 games), the 22-year-old made solid contributions, registering eight goals and 17 points.

Nazar also missed 14 games with a broken jaw mid-season, which certainly didn’t help matters. But the Michigan native has the capacity to be quite the player-maker when he’s on his game. For Nazar, his speed and skating abilities are key. The coaches refer to these two combined things as his “superpower”. Hopefully his third season as an everyday player brings out the best in him.

Anton Frondell

Top prospect Anton Frondell only played in 12 games, but he showed his value immediately. The Blackhawks’ third overall pick in the 2025 Draft made his NHL debut on Mar. 24, playing on the top line. He was deployed as the second-line center by his fourth game. He also played on the right flank on a five-forward top power play unit, firing off his wicked one-timer whenever he had the chance.

The rookie provided a primary assist in each of his first two NHL games. He notched his first multi-point game in just his fourth contest. In his fifth game, the Swedish native earned his first NHL goal, scored against the Winnipeg Jets (Mar. 31).

FIRST GOAL AS A HAWK 🥹❤️‼️ pic.twitter.com/zzZBgb7hKu

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 1, 2026

All in all, Frondell contributed an impressive three goals and nine points in his short stint with the team. He’s super strong and plays a solid two-way game despite his young age. Frondell brought young blood and a much-needed boost of adrenaline to a team that was struggling down the stretch.

It’s clear the Blackhawks have a very special player on their hands, with a super high ceiling. If Frondell can continue with what he accomplished just a few weeks into his NHL career, the sky is the limit for this young man.

Tyler Bertuzzi

Of all the veterans put in place to complement this young Blackhawks’ team, Tyler Bertuzzi has made the biggest impact. The 31-year-old is a mastermind at and around the net, seemingly always in the right spot to deflect a puck or knock in rebounds. 

While Bertuzzi’s production has been streaky in the past, he was very consistent last season. He never went more than six games without scoring. His 32 goals led the team and was a career high for him. His 45 goals and 58 points were second on team behind Bedard, and his point production was second highest of his career. Per Coach Blashill, “He wins puck battles, he defends well and he’s really good around the net.”

The veteran winger has also gelled with a multitude of linemates. Whoever he’s deployed with, that line combination seems to be elevated by his contributions. While he’s not the most vocal of the bunch, he leads mostly by example. He was also imparted with alternate captain duties alongside Bedard at the end of the season.  

In short, no one else really does what Bertuzzi does. His veteran savvy and unorthodox leadership style are a valuable asset to this young team.

Nick Lardis

In contrast to Bertuzzi, there are a few rookies who showed great potential in their first season in the NHL. Forward Nick Lardis is one such player. After his 71-goal season with the OHL Brantford Bulldogs (2024-25), the 20-year-old transitioned to the pro level quite well, notching 18 goals and 32 points in 35 games with the Rockford IceHogs.

In 41 games with the Blackhawks, Lardis had a little more trouble finding the back of the net. But let’s remember, his 10 goals and 15 points would be a 20-goal and 30-point pace through 82 games. That’s not too shabby. He also prides himself on his all-around game and doesn’t shy away from physical contact.

Another beautiful backhand pass by Connor Bedard, this time to Nick Lardis, who scores his 10th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/7ewnRkNvVn

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) April 16, 2026

Lardis was shipped back and forth between Rockford and Chicago a few times, making it harder for him to get acclimated in his first NHL season. Plus, he went through a stint with the Blackhawks where he was playing on the fourth line and not getting much ice time.

It’s a good bet Lardis could find his groove when given more of an opportunity next season.

Oliver Moore

Another young player who got his feet wet with the Blackhawks this season was forward/center Oliver Moore. Like Lardis, Moore started out with the IceHogs. He notched six goals and nine points in nine games before being called up to the Blackhawks, about a month before Lardis was.

In Chicago, Moore was deployed as a winger, and there were mixed results. After two goals and five points in his first seven games, things kind of dried up for the Minnesota native. He’s known for his speed, and Coach Blashill tried deploying him with a fellow speedster in Nazar. But that didn’t really seem to click. Finally, Blashill tried Moore at center (where’s he’s played most of his life) on Dec. 30 versus the New York Islanders. The youngster won 8-of-11 faceoffs, recorded two primary assists and looked like a completely different player.

“It was the best game Ollie’s played, for sure,” said Blashill after the game. “Hands down. Was it because we moved him to center? Maybe. He looked like a real confident, kind of almost different player out there to me. His speed in the middle. He’s had a hard time on the wing, finding how to use the speed, like when to slow down and then hit the hole with speed. At center, it’s a little bit easier. It’s a little more natural to him. He’s played a lot of center his whole life, and played center in Minnesota. So as we kind of talked through some things we were talking about, learning how to hit holes as a winger, and honestly, it just made me think that; let’s give him a shot at center there. And I thought he did a real good job overall.”

The 21-year-old played mostly at center (usually in the bottom-six) for the rest of the season, until he sustained a lower body injury on Mar. 8 and missed the last five weeks of the season. While he was sidelined, he worked hard on studying the game to play more intelligently.

Could Moore be the third-line shutdown center of the future to replace Dickinson (lost at the trade deadline)? Or will he potentially fit in at wing farther up in the lineup? It’s unfortunate Moore’s season was cut short, but a lot of signs point towards him having a breakout campaign next season.

Alex Vlasic

Let’s move on to Blackhawks’ defensemen who could be impact players in this upcoming 2026-27 campaign. Alex Vlasic tends to get lost in the shuffle. After all, the Blackhawks have added a plethora of offensive-minded additions to the blue line over the last few years. We’ll get to a few of them in a minute. But first, let’s appreciate the body of work Vlasic has put together over the last three seasons.

When Seth Jones left the organization for the Florida Panthers, Vlasic was the one who basically stepped into Jones’ top defenseman role. This was despite being just 23 years old and only in his second full season in the league. Vlasic doesn’t offer a huge offensive upside, but being a shutdown defenseman on this developing team isn’t as easy task. At 6-foot-6, he’s always used his reach and long skating strides to his advantage.

This past season, the Wilmette, IL native stabilized the back end while lots of “younger” players earned their stripes with more growth and development. It’s easy to forget Vlasic is still relatively young and inexperienced himself. Nevertheless, in 81 games he led all players with 21:08 average minutes of ice time, including the most minutes (230:52) on the penalty kill. His 119 blocked shots led the team as well.

Believe it or not, 24-year-old Vlasic is the most tenured member of the Blackhawks. As a by-product of this, he’s emerged as more of a leader in the locker room. He was the first of the Blackhawks’ new core to sign a long-term extension with the club. His contract runs through the 2029-30 season and has a $4.6 million cap hit.

There was a bit of regression in Vlasic’s game last season, but he’s also being asked to step into a larger role. If he can turn things around, it will be instrumental to the success of the defensive corps, and the Blackhawks as a whole.  

Artyom Levshunov

Young Artyom Levshunov is certainly someone who needs to take another step in his development this coming season. Drafted second overall in the 2024 Draft, he’s had a lot of ups and downs in his NHL career so far. But the Blackhawks selected the defenseman over high-end forward Ivan Demidov, so they’re banking on Levshunov becoming an elite player.

Known for his offensive upside, Levshunov did lead all blueliners with 22 assists this past season. He struggled to score, only notching two goals. But the hope is that will come with time. He worked on his shooting technique throughout the year.

It was a constant challenge for Levshunov to balance his offensive mindset with maintaining good defensive habits. When he’s is on his game, he does a lot of things right. He’s calm, he moves the puck well, he’s incredibly strong and a smooth skater. He attacks the game. But when he’s off….well let’s just say it can be quite the disaster. The Belarusian is still guilty of making knee-jerk decisions out there, and it’s led to a lot of pucks in the opposing net. His minus-41 plus/minus rating was the worst of all Blackhawks and second-worst in the entire league.

But Levshunov also only has 86 NHL games under his belt, and defensemen always take longer to develop. The 20-year-old needs to become more consistent with his offensive game while also being accountable defensively. If things start to click for the defenseman, he could have a very high ceiling. Time will tell.  

Sam Rinzel

Another defenseman with a high offensive upside is Sam Rinzel. The first-round pick (25^th overall) from the 2022 Draft looked so impressive in his nine-game stint at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, many pundits predicted he would never see a minute of AHL time. Well, that didn’t prove true, as Rinzel struggled out of the gate in the 2025-26 campaign. He was sent down to the IceHogs in early December to work on defending better and to “get his swagger back”, as Coach Blashill referred to it.

When he returned in early March, he did seem to play better down the stretch. On Mar. 9, Blashill described what makes Rinzel a good player.

When Sam’s playing his best, he’s a really good breakout passer, gets you up the ice, join the play. That’s when he’s playing his best. He’s done a good job of that since he’s been back. I think he’s managed it well, not taking some of the unneeded risk I thought he took before he got sent down…He’s a guy who’s, what’s going to separate him in this league is his ability to skate and move a puck, and he’s done a real good job of utilizing those powers that he has.

Rinzel ended the season on a high note, notching a goal in the Blackhawks final game of the season, a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

ending the second in style 😎 pic.twitter.com/Ft1uaBypY8

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 16, 2026

Same as with Levshunov, it will take time and experience for Rinzel to perfect his craft. Hopefully this upcoming 2026-27 will be their time to shine.

Spencer Knight

Last but not least, we’d be remiss if we didn’t discuss the importance of goaltender Spencer Knight to the Blackhawks. Knight entrenched himself with a starting role for the first time in his NHL career, having started in 55 games last season. His .902 save percentage and 2.82 goals against average doesn’t jump off the page, but these are certainly respectable stats considering the developing team in front of him. 

Let’s not forget that the Blackhawks’ starting netminder previously came from the Panthers, who secured back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He’s no stranger to a winning culture, and he can bring that experience and mindset to the Blackhawks. Plus, Knight just turned 25 years old on Apr. 19. In Chicago terms, that’s a mature old man right there!  

Knight was the backbone of this team, both literally and figuratively. Every night (with very few exceptions) he made the saves that needed to be made to keep this team in the game, and give them a chance to win. This earned him Most Valuable Player honors in our THW player awards. It’s safe to say he’s has established himself as the netminder of the future for the Blackhawks.

Of the above 10 highlighted players, some are more likely to have an impact than others. There’s always the possibility someone doesn’t pan out as expected, and this could certainly affect the success of the collective team moving forward. But even if one or two players don’t meet expectations, there could be others who exceed them.

The future is undetermined, but all the above players have the potential to be impact players next season for the Blackhawks.