The Chicago Blackhawks changed up the forward lines at practice Wednesday, something they’ve done often this season.
But when it comes to Connor Bedard’s line — and the combination of linemates that best suits him — perhaps the forward has grown tired of that line of questioning.
“I don’t know,” Bedard said. “You guys have asked this the last 10 days, so whatever line we play with, we’re just going to go play and try to do well.”
The latest five-on-five combination features Philipp Kurashev — Bedard’s most common linemate last season (764 minutes) and Teuvo Teräväinen, his most common linemate this season (139 minutes).
“It’s early in the season, trying to see who plays well with each other and what works, what doesn’t work. And I think it’s pretty normal,” Teräväinen told the Tribune.
“In Carolina, a lot of times I was the guy who switched the lines and tried to be the piece, what makes the line work, maybe.”
Bedard has played the most minutes this season with Teräväinen and Nick Foligno, followed by Kurashev and Ryan Donato. Previous combinations with Kurashev and Teräväinen rank third.
There have been plenty of other configurations as the Hawks try to help unlock more of Bedard’s offense.
In 16 games so far, Bedard has produced three goals, 10 assists and has taken 52 shots with a 5.8% shooting percentage.
In the first 16 games last season, had nine goals, six assists and took 47 shots with a 19% shooting percentage.
The Hawks signed free agents such as Teräväinen and Tyler Bertuzzi who they hoped — in combination with the return to health of Taylor Hall and the growth of Lukas Reichel — would give the team more options to surround Bedard.
“That’s their job obviously,” Bedard said. “Try to find what works best for our group, all four lines, so they’re doing that, and we just go out and play with new guys or same guys or whatever.”
Coach Luke Richardson said he changed the lines to juice up the offense overall, but when asked specifically about Bedard, he acknowledged “there’s other reasons.”
“Just some guys play well and a line gets going for a while, and then sometimes it just goes stagnant,” Richardson said. “So just change it up. I thought he had some good chemistry before with Kurashev last year at times, and even early in the season with Teuvo, so let’s try it again.
“Sometimes you come back to it and it clicks even easier because they had a try or two. Maybe the third time, they’ve been talking about things. ‘Hey, last time, this didn’t work well,’ or ‘This did work well,’ they can kind of work at building themselves up a little bit.”
Teräväinen said his approach, whether he’s playing the top line or third, is balancing risk: “Play smart.”
But for Bedard specifically, “he likes to have the puck, he likes to make some plays. … I try to be the guy who’s going to help him if we turn the puck over. I just try to help him a little bit either way, offensively (or) defensively.”
Here are three more things we learned at practice Wednesday.
1. The Hawks are getting healthier.
Defenseman Alec Martinez (right groin) and goaltender Laurent Brossoit (right knee) joined practice Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena.
The plan was for Martinez to join the Hawks for the road trip to Seattle and Vancouver, but not Brossoit, who has yet to play for the Hawks since signing a two-year contract this summer.
“I don’t think he’s coming on the trip yet, but (he’s) definitely progressing,” Richardson said. “We’re probably going slower with a big goalie, making sure that everything is healing properly and not rushing that.”
While Brossoit had a limited practice, Martinez practiced in full for the first time since the team placed him on injured reserve Oct. 17. But he’s still iffy for Thursday’s game against the Kraken.
“We’ll have to see how he feels tonight after a little bit of contact and battle. He’s a possibility but we’re not sure if he’ll play tomorrow or not.”
2. What have the Hawks been missing without Martinez?
The Hawks have played 12 games since Martinez re-aggravated a nagging groin strain.
His recovery has taken longer than he expected.
“It’s a pretty frustrating process,” Martinez told the Tribune. “(It) probably kept me out longer than I would’ve preferred. Hopefully that’s over and done with.”
He was a significant free-agent acquisition for the Hawks, someone to help steady the back end on the ice while bringing some veteran intangibles to the locker room.
Martinez said, “I’m not going to be super preachy, I’ll pick my spots. I like to provide a little bit of stability and reliability, knowing where I’m going to be, knowing I’m going to make the play. No one’s perfect — I make my share of mistakes, certainly — but just try to be a calming presence on the back end and be a sounding board for guys, or talk to guys, try to get energy up.”
Richardson agreed. “He’s just got a little calmness, and there’s a big presence there.
“On the ice, verbally, he’s not a yeller or screamer or talks a lot, but when he does say something, it’s meaningful.”
3. Bedard goes home for the first time.
Bedard is from North Vancouver, but he missed last season’s only trip to Vancouver on Jan. 22, out with a fractured jaw that occurred earlier that month.
“I’m excited,” he said about Saturday’s game against the Canucks. “I was disappointed last year (that) I didn’t get to go on that trip, so (I’m) looking forward to it. My family’s excited, so it should be good.”
He said he’s not buying a “crazy” amount of tickets for family and friends, “but I’ll be paying to play for a night,” he joked. “No, it’ll be good to have some people there.”
“Just enjoy it,” Richardson said. “He’s been really good when we go out west.”
Playing in your hometown is always special, the coach added.
“You want to do well,” Richardson said. “There’s going to be lots of people there, wishing you well before (the game), and there’s going to be lots of people in the stands to see (you) after, and you want to be proud and show your best.
“There’s always that little extra jump in your stride.”
The Hawks might take Friday off instead of practicing, but either way, Bedard will “hang out” at his parents’ home.
“Not really emotions, I don’t think,” Bedard said. “It’ll be good just to have family and stuff there, but in the end, it’s another game.”
