The Chicago Blackhawks have changed their forward lines for almost every game this season, but their special teams have stayed consistent. Through 71 games, the team is ranked ninth in the league in penalty kill percentage with an 81.7% mark. In an even more impressive fashion, their 25.5% success rate on the power-play ranks eighth in the NHL.
For a team that has had struggles finding the back of the net at times this season, the Blackhawks are taking care of business in man-advantage situations is good to see. Keeping the two power-play groups balanced has certainly been a challenge for whoever has been behind the bench this season.
An issue with having a roster that lacks a ton of top end talent is figuring which middle-six forwards should crack the power-play units. Clearly these decisions have worked out well for Chicago this year, but there should be one switch made between the two lines to close out the season that would be extremely beneficial for one of their promising young forwards.
The Chicago Blackhawks need Frank Nazar on the top power-play unit
Despite not collecting a point in his last five games, Frank Nazar deserves an opportunity to skate with the top power-play unit to finish the season. He has shown glimpses of upside since being called up in December and his numbers on the campaign could see a huge bump if he’s on the primary man-advantage group.
Nazar has six goals and 10 assists on the season in 42 games played. He made his NHL debut at the tail end of last season and scored his first career goal on his first career shot in a home tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. The highlight goal for Nazar this season was a penalty-shot that he buried against Utah in what eventually became an overtime victory at home.
It’s understandable for someone to lead the second power-play line and to keep things somewhat balanced, but Nazar has proven himself to be a piece that can help out Connor Bedard and others in a big way on the top line. There are plenty of veterans on the team this year that could switch places with Nazar on the man advantage for the last handful of games.
Frank Nazar has proven to be a complete player this season
Nazar had a nice scoring stretch from mid-January to mid-February that put him toward at the top amongst all rookies in scoring in that span of time. His entire season numbers don’t tell the story on how consistent of a presence he has been in the Blackhawks lineup. The former first round draft choice is a pivotal part of the Blackhawks future and his 200-foot game has put the hockey community on notice this year.
Many have commented on a nightly basis how strong Nazar is as a two-way forward and that his complete style of play makes him on of the best guys on the ice every game. The constant lineup shuffling hasn’t helped him when looking at his total scoring numbers on the season, but him doing all of the little things right proves that the production will come in his first full NHL season next year.
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