Blackhawks Line Projections: Who Starts on Connor Bedard’s Wing?

The Chicago Blackhawks want Connor Bedard to be their number one center. Whether you believe he'll turn into a winger, you can count on Bedard starting the season in the No. 1 spot. 

The Blackhawks need to nail Bedard's partner. It doesn't have to be both wingers, but one of them has to see Bedard's game and be a consistent partner. While Frank Nazar played well with Bedard last year (43% expected goals share at 5-on-5, team average was 43%), the Hawks organization wants to see him as their 2C. 

Current Best Fits

Teuvo Teravainen is an excellent linemate for Bedard. Teuvo is a great two-way player who played well with Bedard last year (46xG% at 5-on-5, again, team average of 43%). Will Jeff Blashill play Teuvo with Bedard? We'll have to see, but the previous two head coaches didn't play them a whole lot and utilized Teuvo in a checking role.

Ryan Donato will more than likely rotate in with Bedard. He's not a top-six winger, and I expect his production to dwindle following a 13.98 shooting percentage season. Donato and Bedard had a 41 xG% at 5-on-5 together last season. 

Fringe First Liners

Fringe first liner is a very generous term for the next two. Ilya Mikheyev doesn't belong on the top line but will more than likely see some minutes with Bedard. He's fast and had decent scoring last season (0.8 goals per 60, ranked third on the team with over 20 games played). But his scoring contributions, passing ability, and zone entries are well below average, as evident by the chart below. 

Andre Burakovsky fits here because he'll have to return to his scoring form; he hasn't scored over 40 points since 2021. If Burakovsky can score again, he could be a placeholder, but not someone who should be a regular partner for Bedard. 

Wildcards

Anton Frondell has to make an impression at training camp to jump straight to the NHL. If he does, he should play with Bedard on the first line. There are a lot of questions surrounding Frondell. But it sounds like the Blackhawks do expect him to crack the roster, per Scott Powers. 

And then there's Nick Lardis. Do I believe Lardis jumps straight to Bedard's wing? No. He'll have to make quite the impression to make the lineup on opening night. But if he looks solid and the Blackhawks do debut him, I could see Lardis at least getting a shot. We'll have to see how his scoring translates to professional hockey, which has been the question. 

What's On Tap Next?

While Connor Bedard is their sure-fire 1C, at least for the start of the season, his wingmates are still in question. An ideal first line will look like this: Teravainen-Bedard-Donato. What Kyle Davidson needs to do is acquire a winger through a trade. That will require a bold offer if he wants to get a competent winger for Bedard.

Next up, we'll look at the second line. The Blackhawks see Nazar as their 2C, and it's easier to predict who his linemates will be at the start of next season.