The new forwards in the Blackhawks’ lineup will each have a specific role and were brought in to play in the top-6 or bottom-6.

The forward lines for the Chicago Blackhawks next season are going to be interesting. As scrambled it all may seem with the many new additions, general manager Kyle Davidson knew what players the team was bringing in and where they fit.

Instead of acquiring players that can fit anywhere they’re placed in the lineup, Davidson said that “I believe we did find players that, one, they have a true identity either in the top-6 or the bottom-6. You know exactly what they are. It’s not, if they don’t work out in the top-6 they can play on the fourth line.”

Players that can move around where needed and skate with whoever are valuable ,such as the Stanley Cup winning Evan Rodrigues on the Florida Panthers. The Blackhawks appear to be taking a harder stance on each player knowing and perfecting their role, whether that be in the top-6 or the bottom-6.

There are different expectations each shift for different players, whether that be to score goals, produce offense, shut down certain opponents, or cause havoc and play physically. Among the five new players brought in this offseason, we can see where Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Ilya Mikheyev, Craig Smith and Pat Maroon all fit in.

Top-6 or Bottom-6 Blackhawk

“I believe we found players that truly do have a niche and a clear identity to them as to what they are,” Davidson said.

Bertuzzi and Teravainen are used to playing at the top of the lineup with the best players on their teams. Mikheyev is one step below in that he should fit in on the third line well with the speed and skill he’s shown in the past. Smith and Maroon are fourth line players, especially on this much deeper Blackhawks team.

Bertuzzi (21) and Teravainen (25) both scored over 20 goals last season. Bertuzzi, 29 years old, has scored 20-plus goals four times in his career and recorded 40-plus points four times as well. His career highs in goals (30) and points (62) in 68 games came in 2021-22.

Teravainen, age 29 as well, has scored 20-plus goals four times in his career and recorded 50-plus points five times. His career-high in points is 76 in 2018-19. That’s a top-6 talent on any team in the NHL.

If the Blackhawks can have each player reach the 20-goal mark and record 40-plus or 50-plus points, then they are in very good shape in the top-6 with these two additions who are in their primes.

We may have a false sense of what Mikheyev could bring from his final season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021-22 when he scored 21 goals and 32 points in 53 games. He signed a big ticket and after a strong showing in his first season with the Vancouver Canucks similar to the one he had in Toronto, his offensive numbers fell off last season.

Playing outside of the top-6 shouldn’t help his numbers jump back up to where they could be, but his style of play on the third line should help him score 15-20 goals and 30-40 points next season for Chicago. That would be sufficient in a third line role without true point-producers to play alongside every shift.

Smith and Maroon are both on the back half of their careers and both played at the bottom of the lineup on their former teams last season. Smith had lots of competition for playing time last season because the Dallas Stars were very deep up front. Maroon got in the lineup fairly regularly when healthy with the Minnesota Wild before finding less time with the Boston Bruins.

Smith is the safer bet to get in most of the games on the fourth line for the Blackhawks this coming season and provide a bit of offense in limited playing time. Maroon should be in and out of the lineup more regularly and get time when the games are likely going to be more physical.

The five forward additions for Chicago have played their roles for a number of seasons and should be most comfortable and most effective in them on the Blackhawks.