Although Connor Bedard appears to be making progress in his injury rehab with each passing day, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill has always been candid in his statements, not trying to give fans false hope ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season.
That was true when Blashill and the Blackhawks shut down early return rumors surrounding Bedard. It remains that way as the team announced Bedard will be joining the rest of the Hawks on the road for the opening three-game road trip of the NHL campaign. Blashill cleared the air and left no doubts: Bedard won’t play, nor will he even practice with the rest of the squad. He has work to do before Chicago can clear him for such activities.
“Chicago head coach Jeff Blashill said Connor Bedard will join the team for the start of the three-game road trip but he’s not expected to be cleared for practice during it, so he still has some hurdles to clear,” as reported by Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio 720.
When will Bedard return?
As much progress as the 38th captain in franchise history has made throughout the offseason and preseason, his initial recovery timeline remains unchanged. At least, Blashill and the Blackhawks haven’t publicly admitted to any modifications to it. Thus, the Hawks must operate under the assumption that Bedard will miss the first month of the 2026-27 NHL campaign.
Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Bedard underwent surgery to repair his left shoulder in July after he sustained an injury while practicing in his hometown. Since then, the Blackhawks have maintained a four-month timeline for Bedard, who could return to the lineup in November. Obviously, Bedard will make an effort to be back before then, but Blashill and the Blackhawks will roll no dice.
The 21-year-old star, captain and franchise player will have to prove himself and leave no doubts unanswered before the Hawks activate him. As things stand, though, Bedard is considered week-to-week with a shoulder injury, so anything might happen, and Bedard may actually be back before long.
Blashill makes last-minute lineup change
With Bedard out of the lineup to start the season, much speculation surrounded who would be the center on Chicago’s top line, earning the privilege of playing alongside Patrick Kane. Up until this point, it looked like Frank Nazar would run away with the 1C job. However, Blashill made a couple of shocking, last-minute tweaks to the lineup.
Instead, rookie Roman Kantserov, coming off a 64-point season in the KHL but yet to make his NHL debut, will be the team’s first-line center. Nazar, on the other hand, has been taken out of the top six and dropped all the way to the third line. In the eyes of Coach Blashill, though, it’s not a punishment for Nazar, but a way of having him carry his own line while getting a good look at Kantserov at the faceoff dot in the NHL.
Blashill explains changes to Blackhawks’ lineup
“I just felt ultimately we hadn’t gotten enough out of the three lines with the combinations we had used,” Blashill said. “One, got to see [Kantserov] at center, I feel confident he can play center in the NHL. Two, I think [Nazar] can carry his own line a little bit. If that’s the case, you could be looking at [three top] lines that could go out and win their matchup.”
In an effort to balance out the lineup amid Bedard’s absence, Blashill has sent out a clear statement with his final lineups for NHL opening night in Las Vegas. Whether it was the right move or not, the final score will tell, but Blashill has set a precedent: his pulse won’t tremble. He will have to keep it up regardless of which name comes out on the short end, though. If not, that’s a call for trouble.
Key takeaways
- Connor Bedard will join the Blackhawks’ road trip but is not cleared for practice.
- The 21-year-old captain is expected to miss the first month of the season.
- Roman Kantserov will start as the team’s first-line center instead of Frank Nazar.
