Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks will continue to miss a key teammate in the 2025-26 NHL season. After Jeff Blashill provided the latest injury update in Chi-town, the team learned concerning news amid a red-hot form.
Coming into the NHL season, expectations were high for Frank Nazar to emerge as a star in Chicago. Alongside Bedard, the former first-round pick was on track to become a household name, but setbacks are now threatening his production. As confirmed by Blashill, Nazar is expected to miss another game due to injury.
“Chicago head coach Jeff Blashill said Frank Nazar is not expected to play on Wednesday vs. New Jersey because of a “mid” body injury. His status for Saturday is unclear. He remains day to day,” reporter Charlie Roumeliotis stated on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Bump in the road
Through 15 appearances in the 2025-26 NHL campaign, Nazar registered 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points. However, as he missed the Blackhawks’ 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, Blashill revealed he isn’t returning to the lineup just yet.
Nazar participated in warmups ahead of the game at Little Caesars Arena, indicating Bedard and company shouldn’t be concerned about the young star. However, the news of him missing yet another game raised several eyebrows in Chicago.
Don’t worry, Be-dard
While Nazar’s absence in the lineup is impossible to miss, the Blackhawks have managed to stay afloat in the NHL. Bedard is playing the best hockey of his young career, making his presence felt night in and night out for Chicago.
Through 16 games in the 2025-26 season, Bedard leads the team in every category with 9 goals, 16 assists, and 25 points. At the time of writing, the former first overall pick is tied for second-most points across the NHL. Moreover, Bedard is riding the wave of an eight-game point streak. During that span, he has tallied 18 points.
Thanks to Bedard’s red-hot form and the major strides the Blackhawks have made under Blashill’s guidance, Chicago is off to an 8-5-3 record in the NHL season. As Ben Pope reported on X, it’s the team’s best 16-game start since 2016.
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