The biggest question surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks since they won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery and the right to select Connor Bedard has been who his wingman is going to be. 

Heading into the 4th season of his career, that still doesn't have a long-term answer. There have been minor success stories like Philipp Kurashev, Ryan Donato, and Tyler Bertuzzi, but nothing has felt permanent like you've seen with other top centers around the league. 

At Development Camp, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson spoke on a variety of topics. Like usual these days, he answered about options for Bedard's wing going into next season. 

"There’s a number of guys that could work there," Davidson said. "Whether it’s a younger guy like Nick Lardis, or one of the guys we have planned to play in the middle (Nazar or Frondell) can play on the wing, Ryan Greene’s a year older, Oliver Moore has a growing game, and then there’s a number of different vets." 

It doesn't sound like Davidson knows for sure exactly who is going to line up with Bedard when the puck drops on opening night. It also doesn't sound like it's entirely his decision, as he does allow Jeff Blashill to run the team that is assembled for him. 

A lot of NHL executives and GMs see forward lines as pairs with a third utility guy on it to retrieve pucks and win board battles to make things easier for the skilled pair. The Blackhawks do have a fair number of people who can fit that "third guy" role. 

"A lot of those things are trial and error," Davidson said. "Sometimes you work in pairs rather than in threes, so you get a pair and mix and match and see what works from there."

A wrinkle that exists within the Blackhawks right now is Roman Kantserov. He led the KHL in goals last season, and it is believed that he will bring that scoring prowess to the National Hockey League. 

The expectation right now, from Kyle and others, is that Bedard will get a chance to play with him early on. However, they do recognize that it is not a lock that it goes the way they hope. 

"We don’t know if Roman’s going to work there," Davidson said. "We believe it will, based on the traits and how they play and see the game, but that’s what training camp and games are for."

Nick Lardis, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and Ryan Greene, among others, are players who will continue to get chances alongside Bedard and within the top six, regardless of any moves made to improve the team from outside the organization. 

The expectation was always that they'd add a big-name sniper via a trade or free agency, but that hasn't materialized yet. For now, they have to look at these internal options. It seems that everything is still being worked out on that front, but multiple players who could fit the bill are there. 

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