Frank Nazar burst onto the professional hockey scene and scored almost immediately after moving on from college hockey. He only played three games for the Chicago Blackhawks at the end of the 2023-24 season and ended up not making the team in training camp to get some more development the following season.
It took Nazar all of 21 games to be called up in what should be the one and only time that will happen. The former first-round pick scored 11 goals and 24 points in those 21 AHL games and played the final 53 games of the season with the Blackhawks where he put up 12 goals and 26 points.
So how quickly does he rise from here? First we have to assume that he is going to play 82 games. So based on his goals and points percentages from this season, Nazar would've finished with 18 goals and 40 points. That's respectable for a rookie who averaged just under 16 minutes per game on the second worst team in the league and with the 26th most goals scored in the NHL.
Nazar's linemates are going to be better next season, so that will contribute to an uptick in offensive production. He had a 0.22 goals-per-game and 0.49 points-per-game. With a little experience in the NHL now, a likely better team, and better linemates, a decent jump would be him posting a 0.28-0.3 goals-per-game and a 0.6 points-per-game. That would see Nazar finish the 2025-26 season with 24 goals and 49 points across 82 games at 21 years old.
I think everyone would be happy with that progression as there are many great years ahead of him on the Blackhawks. And while he is going to be one of the stars of the team, there are lots of other pieces that will have to step up alongside him. A 21-year-old cannot be the only player making progress and contributing more than he did last season.
