The Chicago Blackhawks took a huge hit over the last little while. Just under a week after taking a spill that forced him to leave the ice in agony during a summer practice, Connor Bedard had shoulder surgery that will sideline him for roughly four months.

Chicago’s young star will miss approximately one month’s worth of games, with a return set for mid-November. The schedule isn’t out yet, but it is likely to be between 10 and 15 games if he stays true to that current timeline. 

When Bedard hurt his other shoulder during the 2025-26 season, the Blackhawks started to flounder after a hot start. If they don’t want that to be their reality early in 2026-27, they need others to step up their game. When Bedard returns, the hope for the Blackhawks is that they will insert him into a team that’s already rolling. 

What does the lineup look like without Bedard in it? Well, at least one player is going to get a chance that they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. Every center will also slot up a spot with a chance to prove they belong playing that position. There is also a player who would have started the season on the wing who will now be inserted into the middle of the ice. 

This is a good projection of what the lineup, as currently constructed, may look like without Bedard:

Bertuzzi - Nazar - Kantserov

Teravainen - Frondell - Lardis

Donato - Moore - Slaggert

Greenway - Greene - Smith

Vlasic - Byram

Kaiser - Levshunov

Cole - Rinzel

Knight

Soderblom

The plan was to use Frank Nazar and Anton Frondell at center anyway, but this Bedard injury almost confirms the need for it. With Bedard, both Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene may get looks on the wing, but they will be needed down the middle early in the season. 

Landon Slaggert is in the lineup projection here, but prospects like AJ Spellacy and Sacha Boisvert could take that spot with strong training camps. On defense, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel will make the team out of camp, and it's their job to lose. 

With the addition of Bowen Byram and Ian Cole, Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro will have to work their way up. Jeff Blashill loved using 7 defensemen and 11 forwards in 2025-26, and although he can't expect to do that much again, it is an option for him while Bedard is finishing with his recovery. 

There is still room for Kyle Davidson to make another move. Free agents like Patrick Kane and Anthony Mantha are still out there, while a trade candidate like Shane Wright could be someone worth targeting. 

No matter how you slice it, the players on this team right now must step up in the absence of their best player. One player won't replace the production all by themself, but as a committee, there are plenty of talented men here ready to take a leap. 

A lot has been made about the centers when talking about Bedard being out, but the wings will be important as well. Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Donato, and Teuvo Teravainen are veterans who have different helpful skillsets, while young players like Nick Lardis and Roman Kantserov will play key roles. 

The fourth line will be a much-improved trio with Jordan Greenway and Cole Smith. Each of them plays a physical brand of hockey that has been missing from Chicago's DNA for too long. 

Every player on the roster will improve when Bedard returns to full strength, but nobody can worry about that while they are competing in the early stages of the year. 

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