Blackhawks move Ryan Greene to top line with new adjusted combinations

Chicago Blackhawks practice on Monday morning brought major role changes, with Greene taking over the top-line center role, a spot he hasn't held much this season as he mostly played wing.

Bedard has been out for a handful of games and won't return until after the new year, and Nazar's jaw injury will keep him out about a month, leaving coach Jeff Blashill to improvise at center.

Assistant coach Mike Vellucci said Greene has «been put in a tremendous role,» noting he's been in the top six and even sees time on both the penalty kill and power play during practice. It's a big vote of confidence for the 21-year-old rookie who was a second-round pick (57th overall) in 2022 and signed his entry-level deal with a $950,000 cap hit before the season.

Practice showed how the Blackhawks are trying to keep things rolling offensively, even without two of their top centers, with Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky flanking Greene on the projected top line. Line combinations down the roster shifted too, with Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis drawing second-line looks.

For fans watching Greene's progress this year, this isn't out of nowhere. He's shown over recent weeks that he can handle elevated minutes, with points in multiple games and a knack for winning board battles that turned heads even before this center move.

There's a real buzz among Blackhawks supporters that Greene's play fits alongside elite talents, especially when you factor in his ability to find ice without the puck and contribute on special teams. Those traits helped him stay on the top line even as others returned from injury.

The reshuffle also saw Nick Foligno practice fully with Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev on the third line, though his game status for Tuesday is still to be finalized. Teuvo Teravainen was absent from practice but expected to play, another wrinkle in these lineup adjustments.

What matters most is how this impacts the Blackhawks' performance with a heavy stretch of games before the holiday break, and whether Greene's center experiment can keep up the push for goals and consistent play.