Can Colton Dach be a solution in Blackhawks’ search for Connor Bedard’s linemates?

Posted October 11, 2025 12:38 pm

By Scott Powers

BOSTON — Colton Dach could have downplayed being promoted to the Chicago Blackhawks’ top line going into their second game of the season.

He could have said, it’s nothing, it’s one game. But Dach admitted he was thinking what everyone else was thinking — he had been given a golden opportunity to prove himself on the top line. It’s no secret the Blackhawks have yet to land on definitive linemates, especially long-term ones, for Connor Bedard, and that search remains ongoing.

“I think that’s obviously where everyone wants to play as much as they can, play the top minutes,” Dach said prior to Thursday’s game against the Boston Bruins. “Obviously tonight’s a great opportunity for me to go prove that I belong up there. Just use my skills to my advantage, use my size to my advantage as well tonight.”

Dach didn’t the lock the spot down Thursday, but he likely did enough to earn at least another game on the line. He factored into one goal, taking a hit to advance the puck in the offensive zone, which led to André Burakovsky feeding Bedard for a one-timer. With Dach, Bedard and Burakovsky on the ice as a line in five-on-five play, the Blackhawks had a 12-6 advantage in shot attempts, 7-5 in shots on goal, 6-4 in scoring chances and had a 59.07 expected goals percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick. Dach also had two shots on goal, won two of three faceoffs and led the Blackhawks with six hits.

“Dacher was good,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said afterward. “I don’t think it was as much time as you would if you had four lines, because we were mixing it up a little bit, but I thought Dacher played another good game. Not enough for me to really comment on the in totality because it was a mixed game.”

Blashill opened his first training camp as Blackhawks coach hoping Bedard, Burakovsky and Ryan Donato would jell as a line. Donato was Bedard’s most consistent linemate last season, and they had success at times together last season with 11 of Donato’s 24 goals at five-on-five coming with Bedard on the ice. The Blackhawks acquired Burakovsky in the off-season with the hope he could rediscover the top-six form he had with the Colorado Avalanche. During his last season with them, he was second in goals and third in primary assists in five-on-five play. He had excelled playing with high-end players.

Blashill played that trio together for two preseason games and in Tuesday’s season opener. The line wasn’t extraordinary in the preseason games, but it also didn’t give Blashill a ton of reason to be concerned. Against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, the line looked outmatched against the Panthers’ line of Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. Late in the second period, Blashill swapped Donato and Ilya Mikheyev, who had been on the third line, but Mikheyev didn’t fare much better. There were also a few shifts where Dach and Bedard ended up on the ice together and showed some signs of chemistry. Dach just missed scoring off a pass from Bedard.

Going into Thursday’s game, Blashill thought he had seen enough of Donato, Bedard and Burakovsky together that it was worth giving another combination a try.

“I think in a perfect world, you find consistent lines, if you can,” Blashill said. “And once you find chemistry, you try to stay with that. Obviously (Frank Nazar’s) line has a lot of chemistry. It’s that whole threesome. They work well together. So just trying some different things. It wasn’t really just one game (for Donato, Bedard and Burakovsky) because it was the exhibition games, too, so trying this a little bit. Dacher’s played pretty good hockey. He’s somebody I could foresee kind of being in this role eventually. Is he ready for that now? We’ll see. Until you try, you don’t know for sure.

“I don’t think it has to be a threesome either. You can kind of work with pairs, move guys in and out. That’s a way not to have a complete blender, but still there’s times where guys need a spark or whatnot. We’ll keep working through that.”

The fact Blashill has been pleased with Nazar’s line, which also includes Teuvo Teräväinen and Tyler Bertuzzi, does complicate finding possibilities for the top line. The Blackhawks envision Bedard and Nazar as centers and want them playing mostly at that position. Blackhawks management believes in time Bedard and Nazar will improve their faceoff percentages and aren’t concerned right now. Blashill has said he’s open to uniting Bedard and Nazar if needed, which he did do in late in both regular-season games, but they aren’t seen as a potential line duo. Blashill also doesn’t want to separate Teräväinen and Bertuzzi from Nazar just to see if they work better with Bedard.

That leaves Blashill with fewer options. Mikheyev, who also played with Bedard some last season, is one possibility, and Blashill gave them a glimpse for part of the Panthers’ game. Dach was the next obvious choice. Over the last few years, Blackhawks management thought Dach had the potential to be a top-six power forward and was on the cusp on doing so, but injuries derailed him each time. Heading into training camp this season, he and Blashill had a positive conversation about what’s expected of him.

“We discussed I need to show them and prove to them that I can belong up in the lineup, play up there,” Dach said. “I think that’s part of my game. I’m pretty versatile, kind of fit anywhere. I’ve played with a lot of guys. I think I have to keep showing him how I can play, don’t change anything and just play my game.”

Dach impressed Blashill throughout the camp and Blashill has rewarded him more and more.

As for Bedard, he can see how Dach could be beneficial on his line.

“He can obviously get the puck and is a physical, hard-working guy with a lot of skill who can make plays,” Bedard said. “I’m excited to get a full game with him.”

Dach shared that excitement.

“I think he’s a really skilled player, very talented,” Dach said of Bedard. “His hockey sense is through the charts. I think he’s very good at playing with other players, kind of understanding certain points. I think for me, just try and win a lot of puck battles, find him in soft ice, get to the front of the net and just kind of create a little chaos around myself to open space up for him.”

Time will tell who Bedard clicks with. He spent the first season mostly with Philipp Kurashev, and that didn’t last. Donato could still come around again, but he’ll likely play elsewhere in the lineup for now. Burakovsky and Bedard were better together on Thursday and will try to build on that. Of course, in the long run, the Blackhawks have many early-round draft picks working their way through the pipeline. Maybe Anton Frondell fits with Bedard, maybe Sacha Boisvert, maybe Nick Lardis. Dach, who is 22, is among that younger group of players arriving and could be part of the Blackhawks’ long-term future. Right now, he’s getting his chance on that line.

Bedard was asked Thursday if he cares whether he has consistent linemates this season.

“I don’t know,” Bedard said. “If you find a guy you’re playing well with, then you’ll stay with them. I think obviously this is my fourth game with (Burakovsky) now. We’re still building that chemistry. I think it’s been good. We’ll see. I think Dach will be good and we’re excited for that.”