Do the Chicago Blackhawks need more grit?
Connor Bedard often puts the Chicago Blackhawks on his back and claws them back into games with his goal scoring and play driving abilities, but lately he has had to take on another role. One that he probably shouldn’t be responsible for.
Photo by: Chicago Blackhawks
In last night’s 4-0 loss to Vegas, Bedard was not only involved in, but started post-whistle scrums. He was chirping at opponents, slashing shins, throwing hits, and not backing down from the consequences. In Bedard’s first 2 seasons in the NHL, he didn’t show much feistiness, grit, or even personality on the ice. But in 2025-2026, we have seen a new Connor Bedard.
There are 2 different ways a skater can put his team on his back and pull them into a game. The first being on the scoresheet, and that is where Connor Bedard belongs. That is how a player of his skill set takes over and leaves his fingerprints on a game, by scoring goals and burying the opponent. The other way is to put your body on the line, big hits, fights, starting scrums after whistles, getting the guy’s fired up, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to see Bedard bring a little bit of grit and feistiness to his game. The best players in the league have it — Nathan McKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Nikita Kucherov all have an edge and a certain level of physicality to their game, but the difference is, they are not expected to do it. Bedard should not feel like he needs to be the guy to do everything. Since the departure of Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy, and Colton Dach, the Blackhawks do not have anybody that can handle the physical responsibilities.
On the back end, the Blackhawks do have size. They have Alex Vlasic (6’6”), Louis Crevier (6’8”), and Artyom Levshunov (6’2”), but they don’t use their size to the full extent they could. Don’t get me wrong, they use it, but for things like long reach, blocking shots, etc. Louis Crevier in particular uses his long reach very effectively. However none of these players are going to run anybody over and get in their face.
One of the only players that has consistently shown a willingness to get dirty and start trouble, is newly acquired forward Andrew Mangiapane, who has made his presence imminently noticable. His willingness to go to the net, stand up for himself and teammates, and throw the body have been a pleasant surprise for the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks do have size coming up in the pipeline as well - Anton Frondell (6’1”), Sacha Boisvert (6’2”), Vaclav Nestrasil (6’6”), and AJ Spellacy (6’3”). AJ Spellacy is no stranger to the physical game, but there are questions on his ability to make the roster anytime soon. The same can be said for Mason West who stands at 6’6”. The 2025 late 1st round pick was a reach, and he is a project, so he won’t be here for at least a few years.
On a positive note, when Bedard gets involved physically, the teams follows suit. In last night’s game, Bedard was on the receiving end of a hit from behind and defensemen Ethan Del Mastro jumped in without hesitation and dropped his gloves, jumping the Vegas defensemen. So if the Blackhawks are not going to have a role player on the team anytime soon (projecting the roster for next season suggests that) then the guys that are already here are going to have to fill that role collectively.
Should the Blackhawks be on the hunt for someone who can fill this void?
