Can Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar become an ELITE Center duo? | CHGO Blackhawks Podcast

Aug 25, 2025

The hosts dive into the exciting potential of Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar as a future elite center duo for the Blackhawks. They discuss the challenges of contract negotiations and the importance of player development in the team's rebuild. Highlights include insights into off-season training dynamics and a critique of NHL gaming trends. The conversation also touches on the contract situations for key players and offers a lively debate about Chicago's baseball rivalries, all while keeping a keen eye on the team's future success.

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INSIGHT

Roster-Based Center Tiering

TSN's Travis Yost placed the Blackhawks centers in tier three but highlighted Bedard and Nazar's upside as an NHL roster duo.
Yost's list evaluates current roster talent, not prospects, framing realistic near-term expectations.

INSIGHT

Complementary Center Skillsets

Bedard offers elite offensive upside while Nazar brings multi-tool two-way traits and penalty-kill value.
The pair could form a strong one-two center punch even if Nazar doesn't reach superstar status.

INSIGHT

'Elite' Is A High Bar

Jay defines 'elite' narrowly as Hall of Fame or unquestioned number-one status at center.
Under that bar he doubts Nazar will be elite but expects him to be a very strong second-line center.

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📬 Chicago sports in your inbox: https://allchgo.com/newsletter On today’s CHGO Blackhawks show, Jay Zawaski and Mario Tirabassi go through TSN’s NHL Centermen tiers list by Travis Yost and discuss is Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar can become the top duo down the middle to lead the Blackhawks to Stanley Cup contention. Plus, your Mailbag Monday questions ask what to expect of Spencer Knight, what Bedard’s contract extension could look like, and much more! An ALLCITY Network Production ALL THINGS CHGO: https://linktr.ee/chgosports WEBSITE: http://allCHGO.com/ BUY MERCH: https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/chgo-locker FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Twitter: @CHGO_Sports Instagram: @CHGO_Sports GET OUR FREE NEWSLETTER: http://www.allchgo.com/newsletter Empire Today: Schedule a free in-home estimate today! All listeners can receive a $350 OFF discount when they use the promo code CHGO. Restrictions apply. See https://empiretoday.com/chgo for details. Monarch Money: Use Monarch Money to get control of your overall finances with 50% off your first year at https://www.monarchmoney.com/chgo PrizePicks: Go to https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CHGO and use code CHGO for $50 instantly when you play $5. PrizePicks. Run Your Game! Rugged Road: Gear up for your next adventure with Rugged Road Coolers - Your ultimate outdoor companion! Head to http://ruggedroadoutdoors.pxf.io/ALLCITY and use code CHGO for 10% off! HelloFresh - Get 10 FREE meals at https://hellofresh.com/freeblackhawks. Applied across 7 boxes, new subscribers only, varies by plan. Hall of Fame App: Get a 7-Day Free Trial + 50% Off your first month with code CHGO. Just download the HOF app on iOS and Android or visit www.hofbets.com, enter code CHGO, and you’re all set. #ad Ray Auto Group: Get into your next vehicle with Ray Auto in Fox Lake! Ray Chevy: https://www.raychevrolet.com/ Ray CDJR: https://www.raycdjr.com/ Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Never skip therapy day, with BetterHelp. Visit https://www.betterhelp.com/CHGO today to get 10% off your first month. Head to https://factormeals.com/chgohawks50 and use code chgohawks50 to get 50% off. That’s code chgohawks50 at https://factormeals.com/chgohawks50 to get 50% off! Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CHGO for $20 off your first purchase. When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. #Blackhawks #ChicagoBlackhawks #HopOnTheRide Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.