As Blackhawks search for solutions, Anton Frondell's usage could be one place to start

BOSTON — The Blackhawks’ list of problems runs so long at the moment that it’s clear no singular fix will turn things around.

Most of the problems are interconnected, too, making it impossible to isolate each one. The Hawks aren’t scoring because they don’t have the puck enough, which is because they don’t defend well enough. But they can’t overcome their flawed defense because they’re not scoring.

General manager Kyle Davidson likely is wracking his brain for ideas after witnessing a very discouraging loss Thursday in Detroit. The Hawks canceled practice Friday, so their lineup Saturday against the Bruins won’t be revealed until warmups.

Trade rumors are starting to trickle around, but the market is far from robust this early in the season. Coach Jeff Blashill’s job seems safe for the time being, despite fans’ anger, but it’s impossible to know for sure.

That leaves changes to the composition of the existing roster or systems as the most viable short-term possibilities.

Blashill already has experimented extensively with blending lines, discovering a few briefly promising combinations — such as the Frank Nazar, Patrick Kane and Oliver Moore line — but nothing needle-moving yet.

The systems have remained the same since last season, so perhaps altering those might be the next frontier. But that’s difficult to do amid a stretch of nine games in 16 days. The next break in the schedule (Nov. 8-11) might be a critical juncture.

Strangely, one of the few Hawks who hasn’t been involved in Blashill’s blending of lines is rookie Anton Frondell.

Frondell has been stapled to center — with veteran Tyler Bertuzzi attached to his left wing — since training camp opened. That arrangement worked well early on, but its effectiveness has faded lately.

Blashill acknowledged Frondell was one of many Hawks who didn’t skate or compete hard enough Thursday. That’s three games in the last five in which Blashill has described Frondell’s performance as subpar and six in a row in which Frondell hasn’t had a point.

Blashill framed that as a ‘‘pretty good’’ 10:3 ratio of good vs. bad games for the 19-year-old Frondell this season, but things are trending down.

So is his ice time. He played less than 14 minutes, 10 seconds in each of those three bad games, including a career-low 11:44 on Thursday. Afterward, Blashill admitted he maybe ‘‘didn’t give [Frondell] enough of a chance to get out’’ of his funk.

So why not try something different with Frondell? He’s the type of big, talented forward who potentially could make a difference offensively and defensively if reignited in the right situation.

Perhaps he’s not ready to drive his own line for weeks upon weeks — particularly while handling tough matchups against opposing stars every night — but is ready to dominate in a complementary role.

‘‘He seems like he’s been around a long time, but obviously he hasn’t been,’’ forward Ryan Donato said Thursday. ‘‘Lessons that you learn over time are really hard lessons, and it seems like he’s already learned a lot of them. It’s awesome to see.’’

Connor Bedard’s wing opposite Roman Kantserov has been a carousel recently, with Kane, Ryan Greene and Teuvo Teravainen getting looks there without success. That would be one spot in which to slot Frondell if the Hawks are willing to try him on the wing.

Doing so wouldn’t require abandoning their long-term vision of him potentially becoming a Jonathan Toews- or Aleksander Barkov-type center. It could be undone quickly if it doesn’t work. In fact, the Hawks even could try Frondell at center and Bedard on the wing, if desired.

A different role also might spark Bertuzzi, who’s on pace for only 13 goals this season after scoring 32 last season.

One way or another, the Hawks’ strategy of spreading out their forward talent seems to be watering it down instead. It’s time to try condensing it.