Blackhawks’ Frank Nazar, Andre Burakovsky return to lineup against Hurricanes
The Chicago Blackhawks are getting a big boost to their lineup, as forwards Frank Nazar and Andre Burakovsky are returning to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Frank Nazar is expected to play in Carolina tomorrow after missing the last 14 games. Andre Burakovsky is also set to return from an illness. That’s a huge boost for the #Blackhawks offense. But it could mean less ice time for a handful of rookies. chicagohockeynow.com/2026/01/21/chi…
HI FRANK👋 📰 ➡︎ bhawks.co/trk/sH5hc
Nazar had missed the last 14 games with an upper-body injury that he sustained on December 20th against the Ottawa Senators. He was placed on injured reserve while out with the injury, but was activated today to return to the lineup.
The injury interrupted what’s been a breakout season for Nazar, as he’s put up six goals and 15 assists for 21 points in 33 games this season. Even with the missed time due to injuries this season, as he also missed two games with an abdominal injury in November, he’s still set to surpass his previous career high of 26 points set last season, as he’s currently on pace for 42.
Burakovsky missed Monday’s 2-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets due to an illness. He was only considered to be day-to-day, so it’s no surprise that he’s back in the lineup after the one game.
Burakovsky is having one of his better seasons in a few years, as he has 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 43 games with the Blackhawks. He’s also missed some time this year with including one for personal reasons in October, one for another illness in November, and three more in November for undisclosed reasons.
Based on the lines ran during morning skate on Wednesday, Nazar will return to the lineup centering the second line between Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Donato, while Burakovsky will play on the top line with Connor Bedard and Ryan Greene. Burakovsky is also expected to play on the top power play unit, while Nazar will play on the second unit.
With both players coming into the lineup, Colton Dach and Sam Lafferty are the players expected to draw out in their place. Dach has three goals and six assists for nine points in 48 games, while Lafferty has one goal and one assist for two points in 18 games.
The Blackhawks currently sit in sixth in the Central Division with a 20-22-7 record, and are six points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Chicago will look to build off of Monday’s win over the Jets when they visit Carolina to take on the Hurricanes on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT.