NHL insider: Chicago Blackhawks might have a new top prospect

Connor Bedard was drafted in the first round in 2023. Frank Nazar was a first-round pick the year before. Now, in 2025, the latter might have become the Chicago Blackhawks’ most dynamic young player, which could be a compliment to Nazar and an insult to Bedard.

NHL insider Frank Seravelli said he didn’t think the Blackhawks would rush to get an extension done for Nazar, but he did say, “This is going to be a hot take. Towards the end of this past season, he appeared to be the Hawks’ more dynamic prospect over the last 25 games or so of the year. He seemed to pass Connor Bedard in not trajectory, but what he had added to his game.”

Seravelli added that Nazar has added so much more confidence to his game. The young player contributed greatly to the world championships, which gave the United States its first medal in almost a century. “He very well could’ve been the MVP of that tournament. When you think about what Nazar has done, it’s not actually an indictment of Bedard at all,” he added.

The insider said it’s just “props to Nazar” for his excellent year. He noted that if a team can have someone at or above Bedard’s level, it’s the mark of a really strong rebuild. Everyone expected Bedard to be the anchor of this rebuild, but two years into his hockey career, Nazar might have passed him in that regard.

Seravelli called them both “pillars” and “foundational pieces” to the rebuild, noting that the more players like Nazar and Bedard the Blackhawks stack up, the better they’ll be in the very near future. The rebuild may have seemed like it was struggling, but it’s actually not.