Frank Nazar or Anton Frondell? A case for each to center Chicago Blackhawks top line without Connor Bedard.

As opening night on Sept. 29 gets closer, the Chicago Blackhawks still are embracing the hype of Patrick Kane’s return. The future Hall of Famer and three-time Stanley Cup champion signed a two-year, $16 million contract to come back to the team that drafted him No. 1 in 2007.

The nostalgic arrival is an inadvertent smokescreen for Connor Bedard’s injury. He underwent left shoulder surgery in July and has a four-month recovery timeline.

The Hawks remain confident in their young skaters, especially the centers behind Bedard. But who will man the top line until he returns?

It will be a large responsibility to start the season, and that weight likely will fall on the shoulders of either Frank Nazar or Anton Frondell. Here’s the case for each to center the top line.

The case for Nazar

The 22-year-old has become a fan favorite through two seasons with the Hawks. Eyes will be on Kane in his return, but the love between Nazar and the United Center faithful remains.

The Nazar-Kane chemistry kicked off early, as Kane was searching for ways to play with him after his signing.

“I’ve been skating with (Nazar) a lot and trying to develop some chemistry with him,” Kane said at his introductory news conference. “(It’s) been in the back of my mind, like maybe I’ll be playing with this guy, so maybe (we’ll) try to develop some chemistry.

“He’s another great player, too, very impressed with him — his work ethic, his speed (and) skill. There’s going to be a lot of those guys that kind of stick out to me, and (it will) be great to have the opportunity to play with a lot of them.”

Nazar’s work ethic was praised in 2025-26. He was one of the Hawks’ fastest skaters and had career highs in points (41), takeaways (27) and blocked shots (43).

He also had a career-high 138 shots on goal, yet only 15 of them found the back of the net. He didn’t let the lack of goals hinder his shot, but the results left much to be desired.

Nazar trudged through a 21-game goalless stretch between Oct. 30 and Dec. 16. He kept letting the puck fly, though, something from which his teammates can learn.

Nazar (122 NHL games) has the experience edge over Frondell (12). He’s in a position to break out as he enters the first year of his seven-year, $46.2 million contract.

The games without Bedard could accelerate his path toward the NHL’s best.

The case for Frondell

Kane won’t see Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith or Brent Seabrook at the United Center during his second Hawks stint. He’ll instead share space with players a decade or more younger than him.

Included in that group is Frondell, 19, whom Kane also mentioned at his news conference.

“That’s going to be important for me early on is to develop those relationships with the young guys,” Kane, 37, said. “Frondell’s closer to my son in age than he is to me, so it’s going to be a little bit different, but at the same time I think it’s great.”

Frondell didn’t take long to impress after his March 24 debut in New York. He had five points in his first five NHL games, including his first career goal March 31 against the Winnipeg Jets. In his 12 games, he totaled nine points (three goals, six assists), sent 36 shots on goal and blocked 13 shots.

He was explosive in the Swedish Hockey League, a trait that trickled over to the Hawks. Frondell had 28 points in 43 games, including 20 goals — the first 18-year-old to hit the mark since 1998-99.

Frondell plays in an aggressive manner to create goal opportunities. Having Kane on his right and Tyler Bertuzzi on the left could be Frondell’s best chance at adding to his stat sheet.

If he does become the top center without Bedard, it would add tons of pressure for Frondell. He spent most of his last season in Sweden at left wing, but the Hawks plan to use Frondell as a center regardless of Bedard’s status.

Would it help for him to start at the top and learn?

It’s risky — he would have a larger learning curve than Nazar, and the Hawks need to put themselves in the best position to win games early. But if Frondell holds his own, he can keep the ship steady until Bedard comes back.

The job goes to …

There’s no wrong choice here. Positives outweigh the negatives in slotting either Nazar or Frondell as the top-line center. It won’t be entirely on them either — other Hawks will need to step up.

The Hawks started 10-5-4 last season but lost momentum before Bedard’s right shoulder injury in December. Creating an early flow will be vital in setting the season’s initial tone.

Nazar is essential for the Hawks to take a leap toward playoff contention. Slotting him as the top center may be the best way for him to reach his full potential.

Frondell will be in his first full NHL season, so easing into the league is more important. He said it himself at his exit availability April 16: “I just felt like the (NHL) game overall was so fast. For me, it was a wake-up call.”

Regardless, the two are widely expected to be the first and second centers for roughly the first 10 to 15 games. They’ll need to adapt quickly — the season may depend on it.