Last week, Ben Pope from the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Chicago Blackhawks are planning their 2027-28 roster around Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Anton Frondell, all playing center. This is big for the Blackhawks, because if it works, they could be set down the middle of the ice for the next decade and possibly longer. That’s very important when beginning a quest for consistent success. The thing that becomes a must with this philosophy is filling out the wings. They are a long way away from having an elite forward core, not only because these three need more time to develop further, but also because they need help on their lines. Tyler Bertuzzi had over 30 goals last season, but is he realistically a part of the long-term plan? How about Teuvo Teravainen or Ryan Donato? Likely, they need upgrades up and down. Ryan Greene is best suited to be a fourth-line center, but if he must play wing, he projects better in the bottom six. The same can be said for Sacha Boisvert. Roman Kantserov is a wild-card in this conversation. If he joins the team and continues his KHL caliber goal scoring pace, the Blackhawks have a star sniper on their hands. Even if that is the case, however, it isn't enough. They must be working on trades, free agent signings, or looking at options with draft picks in the meantime. There are big-name trade candidates out there like Jason Robertson, Dylan Larkin, and others who could come to Chicago to fit into the top six. Whether it's with Connor Bedard or on the second line with one of Frank Nazar or Anton Frondell, a move like that would change the dynamic of the entire forward group. Everyone would slot into much better roles that fit their skillsets. A team that came in 31st place for the second year in a row is always going to have needs. Filling out the wings to go with their young centers is near the top of the list. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c284bbc9-0eba-4b80-b3bd-b5dd4774402a.jpeg] Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/] team site to stay up to date on the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-newshttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-dayhttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/game-day] coverage, player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/playershttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/players], and more. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
