The Blackhawks have found Connor Bedard's replacement after latest report

Connor Bedard won't be ready for October, and head coach Jeff Blashill already has to figure out who fills that void.

Both Bedard and Patrick Kane are signed and locked in for 2026-27, which mostly settles Chicago's roster heading into camp.

Restricted free agents Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro still need deals, but neither is expected to be a complicated negotiation.

That means a quiet news cycle until rookie camp rolls into training camp this September.

Bedard is out until November recovering from shoulder surgery, and that absence reshapes the top of this lineup before the season even starts.

Roman Kantserov could open the year as first line center, a massive ask for a player who just scored 36 goals in Russia last season.

GM Kyle Davidson hasn't hidden his expectations for the rookie, and this opening gives Kantserov a real chance to answer them fast.

Kane skated alongside Frank Nazar this summer, and he's reportedly intrigued enough by the chemistry to keep them paired once the games start.

Nazar opened last season hot with 11 points in his first 10 games, and Chicago wants that same jump now that he's locked into a seven year deal.

For the season, Nazar finished with 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points in 66 games, solid but still just scratching at his ceiling.

Bowen Byram tasked with anchoring a revamped blue line

Anton Frondell projects as a center this year even though Davidson likely sees him long term on the wing.

The Swedish forward managed 3 goals and 6 assists in just 12 games last season, still learning the defensive assignments that come with the middle.

Tyler Bertuzzi gets tasked with steadying that trio, bringing 32 goals and 26 assists for 58 points worth of experience to two linemates who've barely played 60 NHL games combined.

Nick Lardis quietly kept a 20 goal pace over his first NHL half season, finishing with 10 goals and 5 assists in 41 games.

Further back, Oliver Moore is set to audition for the checking line center job that opened up with Bedard sidelined.

Moore's season ended early with injury, but he posted 5 goals and 14 assists in 51 games and has been vocal about wanting a defensive role.

Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Greene round out a line that leans on hockey sense over raw firepower, an awkward fit for both after uneven seasons.

Up front, Chicago added size and grit this summer in Cole Smith and Jordan Greenway, two forwards built to finish checks over highlight reels.

Ryan Donato stays in his bottom six role under Blashill, while Andrew Mangiapane's $3,600,000 cap hit makes him a near lock to clear waivers toward Rockford.

On defense, Alex Vlasic and new addition Bowen Byram project as Chicago's top pair, with Byram likely leading the group in ice time by a wide margin.

Vlasic managed just 2 goals and 19 assists last season, and his zone exits still need the puck movement Byram is expected to provide.

Wyatt Kaiser and Sam Rinzel could form a pairing built on cleaning up last year's disaster, when Kaiser and Artyom Levshunov got outscored 30-10 together.

Kaiser fared much better away from that pairing, and Duncan Keith remains a believer in his long term upside on this back end.

Ian Cole slots in as the steadying veteran next to Levshunov, a role he's played across a long journeyman career.

"If I can handle my business and bring a consistent product night after night, it's something the coaches and teammates can rely on," Cole said.

Levshunov, still just 20, needs a real developmental jump after posting 2 goals and 22 assists in 68 games, and staying in Chicago this summer over Florida should help.

Korchinski is no longer waiver exempt and profiles as the seventh defenseman, a demotion after his rookie season stalled at just 2 points in 13 games.

In net, Spencer Knight is set up for one of the heavier workloads in the league after posting a .902 save percentage across 55 games last season.

Arvid Soderblom holds the backup job for now, though his .880 mark last year leaves the door open behind him all season long.