The Chicago Blackhawks are still evaluating who will join Connor Bedard and company during the 2025-26 NHL season. On that note, reports hint there’s an ongoing positional battle for one vacant spot on the lineup. As the Hawks look to dress a younger team night in and night out, two youngsters are competing intensely.
The Blackhawks know nothing will come easy for them in the upcoming NHL campaign. Bedard and his teammates will face an uphill climb in more ways than one. Chicago is virtually an underdog in every game of the regular season, but the Hawks won’t back down from a fight.
With the final pieces being put together before the puck drops on October 7, head coach Jeff Blashill and general manager Kyle Davidson are reportedly discussing one key decision. So far, the answer is not set in stone and anything can happen. However, as days go by, a verdict is imminent.
As reported by Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks have just one question mark floating over their forwards group and it’s down to two candidates: Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene.
Oliver Moore #11 of the Chicago Blackhawks plays against the Detroit Red Wings
Taking things slow
Both players were drafted by the Blackhawks in the early stages of the Draft (Moore was a first-round pick in 2023 and Greene a second-rounder in 2022). However, Chicago opted not to rush the youngster’s evolution into established NHLers.
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So far, Moore has appeared in nine games, recording four assists. Meanwhile, Greene has played in just two outings, with no points to his name. Still, it’s too early for the Hawks to jump into conclusions about their draft selections.
Reports suggest only one of them will make the cut for the opening night roster. While that may be true, both will get opportunities to showcase themselves and help out the team during the regular season.
Potential forwards lines
Still days out of the NHL’s season-opener, much can change for how Bedard’s Blackhawks look when the puck drops at Amerant Bank Arena on October 7. At the moment, though, Chicago Sun-Times reports it might look like this:
- First line: LW Ryan Donato – C Connor Bedard – RW Andre Burakovsky
- Teuvo Teravainen – Frank Nazar – Tyler Bertuzzi
- Landon Slaggert – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev
- Nick Foligno – Ryan Greene/Oliver Moore – Colton Dach/Sam Lafferty
Outside of the top six, the possibilities are endless for Blashill and the Blackhawks’ coaching staff. Of course, finding the right company for Bedard on the first line is a priority, but it’s more about shuffling the deck than making bigger decisions like healthy scratching a player. The bottom six is where the real problem lies for Chicago: there are more players than spots available, yet no clear-cut fits for each slot.
SurveyOutside of Bedard, who is the best player in Chicago?
Outside of Bedard, who is the best player in Chicago?
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