Blackhawks lineup projection: Ultra-young defense will form backbone of 2025-26 roster

The Blackhawks' lack of offseason moves made it clear they're committed to letting youth take over their lineup in 2025-26.

After several consecutive seasons of veteran placeholders filling most of the NHL roster spots, those veterans are rapidly being replaced by internally developed prospects — especially on defense.

There are still plenty of holes in the Hawks' lineup, and it would be overzealous to expect the prospects to succeed right away. They'll need time to figure things out, leading to plenty of ups and downs. That's why oddsmakers forecast the Hawks (and Sharks) to yet again comprise the basement of the league.

But for the first time in general manager Kyle Davidson's tenure, it feels like the Hawks at least have a chance to substantially exceed expectations. Their floor might be just as low as it has been, but their ceiling is higher.

Here’s a rough guess at what the Hawks’ lineup might look like on opening night Oct. 7 in Florida:

Forward lines

Andre Burakovsky — Connor Bedard — Ryan Donato

Just like last year, it's difficult to project Bedard’s linemates. There isn't one obvious and perfect option, much less two. But unlike last year, the Hawks need to find two wingers who work well enough with him and then stick with them.

Donato, who ranked second on the team in points last season, is the leading candidate. He probably won't score 31 goals again, but he is a good finisher who can forecheck and help Bedard with the faceoffs.

Penciling Burakovsky into a first-line spot at this point in his career is ambitious, but if he can rediscover his pre-2023 form like the Hawks hope, he could fit here. He's healthy and eager, and he has been an elite finisher in the past.

Burakovsky and Donato played together in Seattle in 2022-23, so they have some familiarity. Although they logged only 52 minutes of five-on-five ice time together, the Kraken outshot opponents 32-29 and outscored them 4-3 in those minutes.

If Bedard ends up playing between these two, he would definitely fill the role of playmaker, which could boost his assist total. But there are numerous other possible first-line combinations, too. Figuring out the optimal trio will be a priority for new coach Jeff Blashill during training camp.

Teuvo Teravainen — Frank Nazar — Tyler Bertuzzi

Teravainen and Bertuzzi were penciled in as Bedard's most likely linemates entering camp last year, but neither ex-coach Luke Richardson nor Anders Sorensen ever really gave them that opportunity.

Instead, they settled in as Nazar's linemates late in the season, aiding the other young center's strong finish. During this trio's 108 minutes together, the Hawks were outscored 5-2, but their scoring-chance ratio of 47.5% was good by Hawks standards.

Teravainen's defensive and passing acumen, Bertuzzi's finishing expertise and Nazar's speed and overall play-driving ability could create a nice mixture.

It's possible also Nazar and Bedard could be united, but Davidson said in June he sees both of them as centers long-term, so expect them to each anchor their own lines.

Colton Dach — Jason Dickinson — Ilya Mikheyev

The Hawks need 2023-24 Dickinson, who deservedly finished top-12 in Selke Trophy voting, rather than 2024-25 Dickinson, who missed 23 games due to injury and was more pedestrian defensively, to show up in 2025-26.

The opposite is true for Mikheyev, who essentially replicated Dickinson's straight-out-of-Vancouver resurgence last season by playing great defense and chipping in 20 goals. If both are in peak form, they could be dominant defensively.

It would be nice to slot a prospect next to them, and Colton Dach might be the best bet. Injuries have plagued him, but this should be the year he breaks into the NHL full-time. He brings elements of grit and physicality not present in most other Hawks forward prospects.

Nick Foligno — Ryan Greene — Landon Slaggert

Foligno is a safe bet to hold down a bottom-six role. Aside from him, though, the competition is open for the Hawks' last few forward roster spots. Greene, Slaggert, Oliver Moore, Lukas Reichel and recently reacquired Sam Lafferty will all be firmly in the mix.

Reichel's name has been in trade rumors, but he remains a Hawk for now. His dialed-up summer training will hopefully prepare him well for a back-against-the-wall season.

Slaggert has 49 NHL appearances under his belt now, and he contributes in a variety of ways — just not much offensively (10 points). Lafferty is merely depth and injury insurance at this point.

Greene and Moore are in similar positions, but Greene is a year older and plays a more reliable game, even if his ceiling is lower. Moore, like Nazar did last fall, could benefit from a few months in Rockford.

Defense pairs

Alex Vlasic — Sam Rinzel

Rinzel's ability to not just survive but outright impress while averaging over 23 minutes in his first nine NHL games this spring was remarkable. That set expectations very high for 2025-26, as he looks like a bona fide top-pairing defenseman already.

The vast majority of those minutes were played alongside Vlasic, who complements him well. Vlasic encountered some fatigue late last season — understandably so, since he played in all 82 games and logged more than 1,900 minutes — so his fitness and endurance will need to be monitored more closely this fall.

Ethan Del Mastro — Connor Murphy

Murphy was Del Mastro's most common partner during the latter's 24 NHL appearances last season, and they're slated to be the Hawks' shutdown pair from Day One on this season.

Del Mastro can move the puck decently well for a 6-4 defenseman, but separating opponents from the puck has become his strongest skill. Murphy, in a contract year, could be a trade chip by February, but he represents the lone veteran presence on the blue line to start the season.

Wyatt Kaiser — Artyom Levshunov

It's far from guaranteed Levshunov will make the NHL out of camp. Kaiser, Kevin Korchinski, Louis Crevier and Nolan Allan will also be fighting for the last few roster spots, and all of them have more pro experience than him.

If Levshunov does, however, Kaiser has proven to be his ideal partner as an agile defenseman who can cover for his erratic decision-making. In Levshunov and Kaiser's 139 minutes together last season, the Hawks outscored opponents 5-4 with a 46.4% scoring-chance ratio. In Levshunov's 186 minutes without Kaiser, the Hawks were outscored 12-4 with a 34.6% ratio.

Goaltenders

Spencer Knight — Arvid Soderblom

If veteran Laurent Brossoit is finally healthy, the Hawks will have to figure out what to do with him. Otherwise, the goalie hierarchy of Knight as starter and Soderblom as backup seems relatively well-established.

Knight might be the second-most important individual player — behind Bedard — on the 2025-26 Hawks. His talent is immense and he projects to be their long-term No. 1, but he managed only an .893 save percentage in his 15 Hawks appearances last season. How good he is this season will greatly affect the Hawks' overall competitiveness.