For many Blackhawks fans, the 2024-25 season is already practically in the books. The team is nowhere close to playoff contention, and many have shifted their focus to this summer’s draft, in which Chicago will almost certainly pick inside the top five.
But what if we looked ahead even further? The Blackhawks will be getting at least more watchable in the coming years, with their loaded prospect pool graduating to the NHL. The Blackhawks are set to go through some major changes, but it’s never too early to take a crack at predicting what could be some pretty interesting forward lines this fall.
Prediction:
Mikko Rantanen/Mitch Marner – Connor Bedard – Tyler Bertuzzi
Nick Lardis – Frank Nazar – Ilya Mikheyev
Lukas Reichel – Jason Dickinson – Teuvo Teravainen
Nick Foligno – Oliver Moore – Colton Dach
Landon Slaggert
A lot to unpack here. I see that top line as one that can score a lot of goals – Bertuzzi might seem out of place at first, but his scoring output when next to Bedard is impossible to ignore. Him doing the dirty work around the net while Bedard and a superstar free agent make plays all over the ice could be fun to watch.
Speaking of fun to watch, this second line would be one to keep an eye on. Lardis is one of the first names that jumps off the page – he’ll be 20 years old by opening night and doesn’t have NHL or AHL experience, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Blackhawks kept him around after training camp. Lardis has put on a ridiculous show in the OHL, scoring 56 goals and 91 points in 52 games already. Chicago needs scoring ability in the lineup ASAP, and Lardis could provide just that, becoming the biggest surprise of the fall. This line is a great opportunity for Frank Nazar, as Lardis’ scoring ability and Mikheyev’s speed and forechecking could open up a ton of opportunities for him.
The third line isn’t quite as interesting, consisting entirely of players who are already on the roster. The Blackhawks will have high hopes for Reichel, but he hasn’t earned a top-six spot yet. It’s unclear why they haven’t tried him next to Dickinson much this year, but that pairing could benefit Reichel greatly. Having Teravainen on the other wing wouldn’t hurt, either.
The bottom line is an awkward one – it’s clear Moore doesn’t belong in the top six, and putting him in the NHL next year is a stretch. Consider Moore’s name a placeholder for whichever young center performs the best in training camp – could AJ Spellacy impress again? Could the Blackhawks bring back Ryan Donato? Either way, the wings on this line make perfect sense – Foligno and Dach are heavy hitters and smart skaters and would make up two-thirds of a great checking line. Slaggert has proven that he can slot in anywhere in the lineup, so having him around as an extra wouldn’t be a bad option.
