Frank Nazar will make his NHL debut on Sunday (April 14) at the United Center against the Carolina Hurricanes.
On Saturday (April 13), the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they had agreed to terms with Nazar on a three-year, entry-level contract that ran through the 2025-26 season. He was the Blackhawks’ 13th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
In helping lead the University of Michigan to the NCAA Frozen Four Final, Nazar skated in 41 games with the Wolverines during the 2023-24 campaign, posting collegiate career highs in games played (41), goals (17), assists (24) and points (41). He shared second on the team with three game-winning goals. His 17 goals ranked fourth among all Michigan skaters, while his 24 assists ranked fifth on the club.
The 5-foot-10, 181-pound forward captured a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording eight assists in seven games. His eight helpers ranked third among all tournament skaters and second on the team. Prior to his collegiate career, Nazar skated in 103 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2020-22, notching 128 points (58 goals, 70 assists). As a member of the USA Under-18 Team in 2021-22, he registered 70 points (28 goals, 42 assists). His 70 points ranked third on the club, while his 28 goals and 42 assists ranked fourth among all USA skaters.
What Nazar Brings to Chicago
One of the attributes that the 20-year-old should bring to the Blackhawks lineup that scouts universally love is the cerebral way he approaches the game. During the 2024 World Juniors, he demonstrated remarkable poise and vision whenever the puck was on his stick. Even though he did not score a goal in the tournament, he did have eight assists, showcasing his ability to dish the puck around in key moments, almost always making the right decisions, and simply threading the needle, which made him a key component for a team full of NHL prospects. This skill set should make for a good fit on a line with Connor Bedard.
Even though he is considered an undersized forward, Nazar makes up for that with his dynamic skating ability. He gets to loose pucks quickly. He also can take a defender wide, drop his shoulder and cut to the front of the net. His ability to change speeds is a weapon that can be used to fool defenders off the rush. With high-end top speed, he is amongst the fastest players in his draft class. His edgework and agility are also elite. Nazar can make a cut and change directions on a dime. This makes him extremely elusive and tricky to defend with and without the puck.
If his skills can translate to the NHL, as they have for every level he has played at, he will provide an offensive spark to a team that sorely needs some scoring punch. In order to do that, Nazar will need to continue to develop physically. One of the areas that scouts noticed that improvement was needed was because there were times he could be overpowered and pushed off the puck by bigger defenders.
What Line Will Nazar Skate On?
As mentioned earlier, his ability to move the puck and get assists would make him a great fit on a line with Bedard. However, one of the concerns with this pairing is that both young players are a bit undersized and would need a strong physical presence to prevent them from being taken advantage of. The Blackhawks may use the pair like the Tampa Bay Lightning use Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, where they are on the same line together some nights but skate on different lines other nights.
Related: Blackhawks Prospect Frank Nazar’s Ongoing Journey to the NHL
Having played center and right wing throughout his career, he may see his first action with the Blackhawks on the third or fourth line. Starting on the fourth line, which usually sees a combination of Colin Blackwell, Tyler Johnson, and Taylor Raddysh, would be a good way to ease him into NHL competition.
When Nazar joins the lineup and puts on his No. 91 sweater, he will join another young Blackhawks prospect getting some NHL experience at the end of the season. Ethan Del Mastro looked steady and confident in his NHL debut last Friday (April 12) against the Nashville Predators. The signing of the talented Nazar adds one more important piece to the Blackhawks’ rebuilding process.