Like most young Chicago Blackhawks players, Frank Nazar has had ups and downs throughout the 2024-25 season. For Nazar, it started with the Rockford IceHogs before he made it to Chicago, where he became a full-time NHL player.
In 52 games played with the Blackhawks this season, Nazar has 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points. He’s scoring about half a point per game, which isn’t bad for a rookie.
That said, he may have turned a corner offensively since the calendar flipped to April. Since the beginning of the month, Nazar has collected eight points in seven games. Four goals and four assists make up those eight points, which shows his diversity as an offensive player.
It doesn’t matter if it’s on the power play, at even strength, or short-handed. Nazar is a wonderful player in every situation.
He will make a difference on the power play and at even-strength a lot, but look out for short-handed chances as well. His speed and skill help him create at all times. Nazar is not scared to skate the puck up ice when his team is down a man.
On Monday night against the Montreal Canadiens, Nazar was incredibly noticeable. He helped the Hawks deflate a building hyped up for a possible playoff berth with a beautiful assist and a wonderful goal.
Nazar makes it obvious that he is obsessed with winning and being the best player possible. Every time he scores, he celebrates as if it is the first time. He also made it known after the game that he loved the playoff atmosphere and wants to experience more of that in the future.
"If that's what playoff hockey is going to sound like, I'm really excited for that in the future," Nazar said after the game. Few buildings are like the Bell Centre in Montreal, but people in Chicago know what the United Center can be like during the postseason.
Montreal's real dagger came in the shootout when Nazar was the only skater on either side to score. There was some confusion about his goal, but the puck couldn’t have entered the net more clearly once reviewed on video replay.
Nazar admitted after the game that even his teammates thought he was trying to pull a fast one. Captain Nick Foligno said, “Nice try, bro,” to the young Nazar. Eventually, the war room in Toronto figured out what Nazar already knew.
“I thought he was the best player on the ice on both teams." Interim head coach Anders Sorensen said postgame. Nazar took the spotlight off of Ivan Demidov’s highly anticipated NHL debut, which saw him achieve his first career goal and assist immediately.
When you draft a prospect early in the first round, as Chicago did with Nazar, you expect to get a difference maker. Nazar showed flashes of it early this season but since April started, he’s been a lot more consistent with it.
With a big summer, he could come back in 2025-26 ready for a point-per-game season while playing in every game situation on a much-improved Blackhawks team.
