ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan hockey team, already one of the best teams in the nation, may have a major reinforcement preparing for the stretch run of the season.
Frank Nazar, a forward and a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has been skating in practice, and UM coach Brandon Naurato is “optimistic” the freshman will be able to play this year.
“I’m not sure. Crossing my fingers. We’re optimistic,” Naurato said Tuesday on Inside Michigan Hockey radio show. “If Frankie does play, it’s because he’s at 100% and he’s ready to go.”
Nazar has been sidelined with an undisclosed lower-body injury sustained prior to his arrival to Michigan. That injury required surgery.
A 5-foot-10 forward, Nazar spent the previous two seasons with the US National Team Development Program (USNTDP). He led the USNTDP Juniors in scoring in 2020-21 with 57 points (28-27-57) and has long been considered one of the top young prospects in hockey. In 2021-22, Nazar ranked third on the US NTDP’s Under-18 team with 70 points. He also won silver with Team USA at the 2022 U18 World Championship.
In an interview with ESPN, Nazar called it a “dream” to be drafted by the Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Draft.
“I’ve been to Chicago a lot of times through hockey,” he said. “I was asking for some food tips a little earlier. I’m so excited to be able to go into an organization — and they’ve had so much success in the past year. I’m really excited.”
A winger for most of his playing career, Nazar has more recently transitioned to center. He is best-known for his speed and has been a prolific scorer at every level.
“Frankie may be the fastest skater in the NHL Draft this season, which allows him to create offense through fast transition in all three zones of the ice. He has been a proven scorer at every level that he has played at growing up, and we expect the same when he puts on the maize and blue jersey,” Naurato said last year.
Elite Prospects describes Nazar as follows:
Nazar makes subtle, almost imperceptible plays at every corner of the ice to create advantages for his linemates – little things like dragging defenders toward him on entries to create half-ice 2-on-1s or driving the net off-the-puck to give his linemate more runway. The more attention you pay to Nazar, the more you appreciate his offensive genius.
Prior to the injury, Nazar was expected to become an instant-impact player in Ann Arbor. But he hasn’t played at all for the Wolverines.
“I think from our standpoint, we’re just worrying about his overall health more than anything like long-term,” Naurato said. told reporters in October. “We just want to do it right versus rushing him back. When he does come back, it’ll be when he’s 100 percent. … If you wait or just try stuff out and it doesn’t work, you’re just pushing timelines back. Just trying to do what’s right by him.”
The Wolverines have four regular-season weekends remaining before the Big Ten Tournament, which will be held from March 3-18. The NCAA Tournament begins on March 23.