Blackhawks Player Grades: Connor Bedard Unsurprisingly Leads All Forwards

The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t have a great season in terms of their record, but they did have the opportunity to see a lot of young forwards take big steps. Whether it was developing as offensive players or guys who emphasize their defensive play first, they saw mixed results across the board.

There was one veteran forward who put up an exceptional amount of goals, while another continued his reign as one of the league’s best depth forwards. The rest mostly struggled at times.

Every player gets a grade for how their season went, but they are graded on how they played against the expectations that are placed on them.

Connor Bedard: A

Connor Bedard dealt with a handful of injuries and minor inconsistencies throughout the season, especially in the second half, but it was a truly great individual year for him overall. Bedard had his first 30-goal, point-per-game season. He was also a noticeably speedier and more engaged defensive player, which helped his overall game. After two up-and-down seasons to begin his career, year three proved that he is becoming a legitimate NHL superstar.

Tyler Bertuzzi: A

Tyler Bertuzzi led the Chicago Blackhawks with 32 goals in 2025-26. He scored on the power play, at even strength, and was a physical presence who was hard to play against on every shift. Is Bertuzzi going to keep pumping out 30-goal seasons? Maybe not, but he is good for an honest effort every single night, which is great for a leader on a young team. Bertuzzi took on an “A” after the trade deadline, and he lived up to it. No matter what line he’s on, and he showed plenty of versatility, he makes it better.

Frank Nazar: B

Frank Nazar dealt with some inconsistent play offensively in the middle of the season, but he is a solid player who enhances the overall team speed. Nazar is one of those “all situation” players, as he plays a well-rounded game at even strength, makes plays on the power play, and kills penalties. In 2025-26, Nazar set career highs in goals (15), assists (26), and points (41). The former 13th overall pick is waiting for his big breakout, but the signs of stardom are there.

Ilya Mikheyev: A

Ilya Mikheyev is good for 15-20 goals a season, and that comes with almost zero power-play time. He is also one of the best penalty killers in the NHL, along with being an exceptional defensive forward. Mikheyev wasn’t traded at the deadline, despite being a pending unrestricted free agent, so there will be an emphasis on getting him signed before July 1st; they will be in danger of losing him for nothing. A veteran like him is great for a depth role on a young team for the next couple of years, as he was in 2025-26.

Teuvo Teravainen: D

Teuvo Teravainen was cold in the second half of the season. By the end of the year, he was playing a fair amount of minutes on the fourth line, which doesn’t necessarily fit a skilled player like him. In 2026-27, if he stays in Chicago, the Blackhawks will need more contributions from Teuvo.

Andre Burakovsky: D

Andre Burakovsky would get an A-grade for his first half and an F-grade for his second half. His final grade is a D as a result. The bad outweighed the good in the end, which is why it’s not a C-grade. Burakovsky only had a handful of points once the colander flipped to 2026, despite playing most games on the top line with Connor Bedard. Jeff Blashill was loyal to a fault until the final few weeks of the season, when he finally started to demote Burakovsky. In addition to a lack of offense, he turned the puck over with tremendous frequency. He is exceptional at gaining the offensive zone, but he often takes that skill and ruins it by giving the puck away to the opposition. Overall, it was a year to forget.

Ryan Donato: B

Ryan Donato’s goal total was cut in half this season from a year prior, but his ice time (and role on the team) decreased as well. Donato still scored 15, but he is more of a depth piece that’s used as a middle-six forward more than a top-six guy now. He still gets a B-grade for being a player who accepts and executes any role he is given well without complaining.

Ryan Greene: B

Ryan Greene was expected to need some time in the AHL to begin the year, but he earned an NHL job at training camp and never gave it back. He managed to have a double-digit goal total while being a “third guy” on a good line. He also showed he can play center and wing, which makes him valuable to the coaching staff. When he was at BU, he did all of the little things the right way, which is why he was the captain, and those intangibles have helped him in the NHL as well.

Oliver Moore: B

Oliver Moore had his season cut short with a few weeks remaining, but he was a solid player when he did play. He is an incredibly fast player, and he uses that ability to his advantage in all three zones. His offensive ceiling remains to be seen, but he has already proved to be a useful middle-six forward at a bare minimum.

Nick Lardis: A

No matter where Nick Lardis goes, he fills the net. Whether it’s the OHL, AHL, or NHL, he finds a way to score an impressive total for that league. He had 10 goals in 41 NHL games this year, which is a 20-goal pace over a full season. For being a half-season rookie who was taken in the third round, that’s a great number. He will only become more prolific from here.

Jason Dickinson: C

Jason Dickinson was a 20-goal scorer when he played on Chicago’s top line during the dog days of the rebuild. Since then, he was thrust into a more defensive role, and he thrived. Injuries and inconsistencies kept him at a C-grade this year, but he was given a great opportunity when he was traded to Edmonton. Behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, he is a great third-line center.

Nick Foligno: C

Nick Foligno was a great captain to take on that role after the legendary Jonathan Toews. With that said, on the ice, he is better suited for a team chasing the Stanley Cup at this stage of the game. The Blackhawks traded him to the Minnesota Wild on deadline day so he could play with his brother, Marcus, and finally attempt to win it all.

Colton Dach: D

Colton Dach was traded to the Edmonton Oilers ahead of the trade deadline. In 53 games with Chicago, he had three goals and six assists for 9 points. With other young players on the way, his future with the team looked bleaker and bleaker, but now he has an opportunity with a veteran team like the Oilers.

Anton Frondell: A

Since becoming the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Anton Frondell has been incredible. He won a World Juniors gold medal with Sweden in January, was one of the best rookies in SHL history, and eventually entered the NHL as a Blackhawk. In his 12 games with Chicago, Frondell had three goals, six assists, and nine points, all while being a reliable player away from the puck. It won’t be long before he’s a high-end two-way player in the best league in the world.

Landon Slaggert: D

When Landon Slaggert showed up to training camp, he probably expected to play more than 53 games, but some of his young peers have passed him up on the depth chart. He only scored three goals and four assists for seven points in those 53 games, but he does bring value to the group because of his overall toughness.

Lukas Reichel: F

Lukas Reichel came into the season with a chance to finally stay in the NHL. Instead, he was traded away because the Blackhawks felt that they needed to let him move on. It just didn’t work out for the former first-round pick in Chicago.

Sam Lafferty: D

Sam Lafferty was unable to stick in the lineup with consistency, but he never complained about his role. He even played defense for one game and embraced the opportunity. The guys in the room loved Lafferty, too, so this wasn’t a totally failed season for him.

Andrew Mangiapane: C

Andrew Mangiapane was traded to the Blackhawks as a throw-in so the Edmonton Oilers could clear some cap space. In the few games he did play with the Blackhawks, he brought a physical presence to his line while having a couple of scoring chances. He isn’t a big-time goal scorer anymore, but he’s a solid bottom-six forward.

Sacha Boisvert: C

Sacha Boisvert didn’t play every game once he signed his entry-level deal, as the team wanted him to watch from up top a handful of times. In the games he did play, he had a couple of noticeable moments, including his first goal, some playmaking, and his first NHL fight. Boisvert has a baseline now that will allow him to compete for a job once training camp rolls around.

Dominic Toninato: C

Dominic Toninato only played in 8 games with the NHL club, but he was a solid veteran in the AHL for most of the year. He gets a C-grade for his willingness to do whatever was asked of him, regardless of what team he was on.

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