Frank Nazar is close.
He’s real close.
But the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t in a rush with Nazar. As much as Nazar might be able to help the NHL team right now, especially offensively, the Blackhawks want Nazar’s all-around game to be as polished as it can be before calling him up from the AHL.
The biggest area the Blackhawks are looking for Nazar to improve is his play away from the puck. He still has the occasional lapse defensively, which is expected in his first full pro season as he learns his responsibilities as a center at that level. The Blackhawks would prefer he cleaned it up with the Rockford IceHogs before making that jump to the NHL. The Blackhawks are hopeful once Nazar is called up, he will stay up.
“You see when he has the puck, the ability he has, the speed bursts, the quickness, his ability to create plays, but our hopes for Frankie long-term that he’s a top 200-foot center in the NHL for a long time to come,” Blackhawks assistant general manager of player development Mark Eaton said this week. “Just those little habits. I know Anders (Sorensen), Chris Kunitz have talked to him about kind of staying connected to the play, keeping those feet moving away from the puck, so that when he does get it, he’s already up to speed, not swinging away from plays, swinging into plays. Showing some Brayden Point videos and some of the habits that he has made him an elite center in the NHL.
“I think those are things that are best honed at the AHL level. I think he goes up now, the spotlight’s brighter. I think being in Rockford for a bit longer allows him to be comfortable, but also be comfortable learning new things and making mistakes and being under the spotlight. I think that’s the plan there with Frankie.”
Nazar will have plenty of opportunities to make his case for a call-up in the next weeks. The IceHogs have a busier-than-usual schedule coming up.
Offensively, Nazar has been showcasing his skill with the IceHogs. He leads them with seven goals, eight assists and 15 points in 12 games.
“Obviously, his hockey sense is noticeable,” IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen said earlier this week. “His willingness to play inside of contact and absorb contract and get through those situations and make plays inside those situations has been really impressive lately. Even his rush offense has been really good. He’s really utilizing more linear crossovers to be by himself but also to put defenders on their heels a little bit. Change of pace in those situations has been really good, too.”
Here’s what else I’m hearing about the Blackhawks:
Blackhawks goalie Laurent Brossoit is still having issues with his right knee after having meniscus surgery in late August. There have been times when he’s felt better, been on the ice and on track to return, but that has been short-lived and he’s had to dial it back. Brossoit is hopeful to have a clearer answer on what’s going on soon.
Brossoit’s injury along with Arvid Söderblom’s improved play is about to give general manager Kyle Davidson something to really think about. If Söderblom plays four more NHL games this season, he’ll no longer be waivers exempt. If that were to happen, there’s no way the Blackhawks would put Söderblom on waivers. He’s been one of the few bright spots early in the season. Plus, another team would almost certainly claim him.
If Brossoit has to miss much more time, Söderblom’s waiver status probably won’t matter much. The Blackhawks will let him play those four games and many more and see how he fares over a larger sample. But if Brossoit’s timeline is shorter and Söderblom is still allowed to play those four games, that could present a challenge. It’s never an easy situation to keep three goalies happy and active in the NHL.
Söderblom said Friday he wasn’t thinking about his waiver status.
“Nothing I think about,” he said. “As I said before, take it day by day and just do my job every day. Stuff like that will play itself out. It’s out of my control, so it’s no idea even putting any energy towards that kind of stuff.”
Arvid Söderblom has a .926 save percentage in six games this season. (Terrence Lee / USA Today)
Beyond this season, Davidson will also have to decide what to do with his goalie next season. The 25-year-old Söderblom is due another contract as a restricted agent after this season and is expected to be offered one. But the problem is Davidson already has Brossoit and Petr Mrázek signed for next season.
If Söderblom continues to play well and looks as if he has a chance to be their goalie of the future, the Blackhawks will undoubtedly do what they have to, to make sure he’s playing in the NHL. But it isn’t an ideal situation for them.
Söderblom is hopefully to be with the Blackhawks for a long time.
“I want to be here,” Söderblom said. “I want to be here long-term. I think we’re building something. I think the future is bright, and I want to be a part of it. I just do my best every day to show them that I want to be here. I think I’ve done that early on in the year. It’s just keep on riding and doing the same stuff that makes me successful so far.”
I’ve read some fans are wondering whether Davidson has a hand in Luke Richardson’s lineup decisions. Though Davidson does determine who is in the NHL, he has given Richardson full control of the lineup. The Blackhawks want Richardson to do what he believes in as a coach and that goes from the lines and defensive pairings to the ice time. They don’t want to micromanage him. He will be judged on those roster decisions, but they are solely his decisions.
The Blackhawks hope Connor Bedard and Alex Vlasic are chosen to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Team USA has a good idea of what Vlasic is, especially after playing in the World Championship last season. Bedard probably has to get on a scoring hot streak over the next week to be chosen by Canada. The NHL would undoubtedly love to have Bedard there, but he’d be a difficult choice compared with some others.
Bedard sounded as dejected as he had been about his goal-scoring slump after practice Friday. He hasn’t scored a goal in 11 games. His shot totals have also dropped lately. He had zero shots on goal in Thursday’s game and a total of six over his last six games.
“I mean, I could name 100 things (I could do better),” Bedard said. “But I don’t know, man. It’s been frustrating, for sure. I just don’t feel like I’m really doing anything. So just keep chipping away at it, I guess, and hopefully find my game again.”
Bedard was more revealing about his confidence taking a hit, too.
“Like I said, it’s been a tough stretch, and you just feel like you don’t have it or whatever, and you lose a bit of confidence,” he said. “And (it) just kind of goes on. Obviously, it’s been a little bit (of a stretch) for me. So, like I said, just kind of keep going in every game, trying to be the best me and hopefully things got to come.”
Forward prospect Aidan Thompson has got the Blackhawks’ attention with the start of his season at Denver. Not that they had written him off, but his sophomore season, especially offensively, was underwhelming and it left some doubt about what his future with the Blackhawks might be.
Thompson has quickly changed that with his play through 12 games this season. Before Friday’s college games, he had produced a point in every one of his games and was second in the country with 20 points. He was also second in goals with nine and tied for third with 58 shots on goal.
One of the major differences in Thompson this season is his strength. He’s leaner and stronger. His shot has also improved, and that’s been apparent with his one-timer.
Marcel Marcel is another prospect who is coming on after a so-so season. After being drafted in 2023, Marcel signed an AHL contract last season instead of returning to major junior and just never looked comfortable with the IceHogs. Even early this season, he wasn’t playing much. But as of late, he’s been playing more and earning more. Specifically, he’s been using his size more effectively and being strong on the forecheck. He’s still on an AHL contract this season, but he could earn an NHL one if he continues to play well.
Aside from Nazar, Landon Slaggert and Samuel Savoie have been two of the most consistent forward prospects for the Blackhawks in Rockford. Slaggert and Savoie have played fearlessly and have been making plays in all zones.
The Blackhawks are still holding out hope that Colton Dach can figure it out. There are times when he looks like an NHL power forward. He just doesn’t do it consistently enough and becomes too perimeter-oriented. He had a two-goal game earlier this week, so that could help propel him in the right direction.
Oliver Moore, a 2023 first-round pick, didn’t have a great start to his college season, but it doesn’t sound like the Blackhawks are at all worried about his development. There was a six-game stretch when he didn’t produce a point for Minnesota.
The Blackhawks have liked the way Moore has been playing with and without the puck and believe the offense will come as it did last season. He did have a goal and two assists in his last two games. He is still someone the Blackhawks probably will look to sign after the season.
Forward prospect Ilya Safonov’s contract in the KHL is still set to expire after this season, his agent confirmed Friday. It doesn’t sound like he and the Blackhawks have talked about an NHL contract yet, but Safonov has previously said he’d be open to that.
Safonov is probably a bottom-six center in the NHL. He’s a big body at 6 feet 4 and 205 pounds, is defensively responsible and is good on faceoffs. He’s won 57.7 percent of his 402 faceoffs this season.
The Blackhawks also still own the NHL rights to Artur Kayumov. The Blackhawks decided to audit their reserve list in the offseason, and Kayumov was kept on it just in case. But at 26 years old and signed in the KHL through the 2026-27 season, he’s unlikely to sign with the Blackhawks.
And, as you know, the Max Shalunov dream is over.
Some professional teams have been migrating their social media presence to Bluesky in recent weeks, but the Blackhawks haven’t been one of them. It doesn’t sound like the Blackhawks will do so either unless there is a real major shift in audience to there. The Blackhawks would probably prefer not to simply walk away from 2.3 million followers on X.
(Top photo of Frank Nazar: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)
