The first time Connor Bedard was injured, the Blackhawks iced one of the most toothless offenses ever witnessed in the modern NHL.
That was in January and February 2024, when a rookie Bedard missed 14 games due to a broken jaw. The Hawks somehow won their first contest without him before going 2-10-1 during the rest of his absence, scoring just 17 goals during that span — a pitiful 1.3 goals per game.
The supporting cast around Bedard is better this season, but not dramatically so. The forward unit will almost certainly be one of the weakest in the NHL for as long as its star is sidelined.
How long that will be remains unknown. Coach Jeff Blashill provided no update Saturday, restating that he’ll know more Monday before the Hawks embark on a three-game trip to eastern Canada.
It did look like a potentially significant injury when Bedard, wincing in pain, hustled off the ice holding his upper right arm or shoulder Saturday in St. Louis, but the apparent and actual severity of injuries can often differ greatly — for better or worse.
Blashill absolved Blues center Brayden Schenn — Bedard’s opponent on the last-second faceoff — of any culpability Saturday, clarifying that Bedard got “injured before any push happens.”
The Hawks moved swiftly to fill the gaping hole in their top six by calling up promising prospect forward Nick Lardis.
In Rockford, the 20-year-old Canadian had racked up 26 points in 24 AHL games, ranking sixth in the league. That was a very similar rate to Frank Nazar’s 24 points in 21 games last fall. Coincidentally, they ended up both getting recalled on the exact same day: Dec. 13.
Intrigue around Lardis, formerly a nondescript third-round pick, skyrocketed during his historic 71-goal performance in the OHL last season, yet he managed to exceed even the heightened expectations for his transition to the AHL.
“[When] you see his shot, it’s special, no matter what age you are,” Rockford coach Jared Nightingale said in November. “He can score in a variety of ways — [off] the rush and obviously [on] the power play. I think he’s just as good a passer, too. Nick is a special player.”
Lardis still needs more time to build up strength and refine his defensive acumen, which is why the Hawks initially planned to keep him in Rockford for most — if not all — of the season. With this sudden opportunity, though, it makes sense to find out what he can achieve right now.
“He’s someone who, ultimately, we’re hoping can become an offensive guy at the NHL level,” Blashill said. “We’re not expecting that to just blossom right away, but can he give us a little offensive punch? That would be great.”
If Lardis proves not quite ready yet, he can always go back down to Rockford. Alternatively, if he can translate his gifted goal-scoring to this level, he might just be the miracle the sans-Bedard Hawks’ offense needs.
Because they very much need a miracle.
Bedard has either scored or assisted on 48.4% of the team’s goals this season (44 of 91), the second-highest percentage in the league — behind only Sharks star Macklin Celebrini (49.4%). Over Bedard’s last 13 games, that percentage was up to 56.3% — easily the majority of the team’s goals.
The Hawks will be more prepared to handle inevitable injuries next season, once Lardis has more pro experience and once fellow top forward prospects Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov have leapt over from Europe to the NHL.
However, the 2025-26 Hawks aren’t the 2026-27 Hawks, just like they aren’t the 2023-24 Hawks. As currently constructed, they direly lack game-altering stars.
Tyler Bertuzzi (26 points in 28 games) and Andre Burakovsky (21 in 26) are solid complementary pieces, but their skills were sought because they complement Bedard, not because they can take over games themselves. An engine doesn’t work without its piston.
Nazar, who has played better lately but still hasn’t scored a goal since October, will be asked be the piston for now. Blashill said he will move up to the first-line center role.