Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Grades: Alex Vlasic

Entering the season, it was clear that the Blackhawks were starting to look at Alex Vlasic as a long-term piece. He signed one of the best contract extensions ever just a few seasons ago, and is now a top-pairing guy in Chicago.

Last season, Vlasic played 81 games, posting 21 points (two goals, 19 assists). Although Vlasic’s offensive numbers from the season before were better (largely due to 13 points coming on the power play), there was a lot more on Vlasic’s plate in 2025-26. Vlasic went from playing with Seth Jones, to forming a top pairing featuring the recently-traded Louis Crevier. He and Crevier were leaned on heavily by Jeff Blashill to be deployed in some of the most difficult situations within games.

Vlasic’s underlying numbers have not been great, but that isn’t entirely his fault. The Blackhawks have been bad, and he plays more ice time than most. Unfortunately, that is going to drag the numbers down. More impressively, Vlasic began over 72% of his shifts last season in the defensive zone. Blashill trusted Vlasic to be a steadying defensive presence.

Player Grades

Blackhawks Cowboy’s Grade: C+

At just 24 years old this season, Alex Vlasic was looked upon to take another big step. Before the season, Vlasic was looked upon to be Chicago’s number one defenseman, overtaking Connor Murphy. Unfortunately, the changing of the guard wasn’t until the Murphy trade and was far from smooth. This doesn’t mean Vlasic was bad; his 119 blocks led the team. You just wanted more out of him, and it felt like there was a level, especially offensively, he just couldn’t reach.

Tony Marchese’s Grade: B-

While he was arguably my favorite blue line story from just last year, save for Wyatt Kaiser, this seemed to be a bit of a down year for who many considered the Hawks’ No. 1 defenseman entering the season. Yes, his point production fell by nine points compared to the previous season and he lost about two minutes of average time on ice, but he still played a big role on Chicago’s top defensive line and also improved his +/-. The season won’t jump out at you as one of his best ever, but it was still an above-average performance. B-.

Ron Luce’s Grade: B

Alex Vlasic doesn’t fill up the scoresheet, but he does everything else you’d ask from a defenseman. He blocks shots, has strong defensive awareness, and was deployed in the toughest situations by Jeff Blashill. With his big body, more physicality would be a nice thing, and may have earned Vlasic an A grade from me. That said, Vlasic is also the most experienced defenseman on the roster, at no fault of his own. He had a B-quality season in my book.

What’s On Tap Next?

Next season, Vlasic will likely team up with Bowen Byram to form the Blackhawks’ top pairing. The pairing should improve offensively, and Vlasic can serve as the steady defensive presence while Byram becomes the workhorse and offensive flare.

Tell us if you agree with our grades! What would you give Alex Vlasic? Let us know at @FourFeathersPod on X and Instagram!

Next Up: Oliver Moore