Connor Bedard’s contract situation was always going to be one of the NHL’s biggest offseason stories amid the stalled talks between him and the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks center is a restricted free agent after completing his three-year, $2.85 million entry-level deal on July 1, and the market for elite young players shifted when the Philadelphia Flyers tendered Leo Carlsson a massive five-year, $90 million offer sheet.
Bedard is coming off his best NHL season. He had 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games, leading Chicago with 75 points. For his career, the 2023 No. 1 pick has 203 points in 219 games.
The contract situation, however, became even more complicated on Wednesday, when the Blackhawks confirmed a new Bedard injury and revealed the forward has undergone surgery to repair his left shoulder.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
“We expect him to make a full recovery in an approximate timeline of four months,” the Blackhawks said, announcing Bedard's recovery timeline.
If the projection is correct, that timeline would likely push Bedard’s return into November, meaning he'd miss the start of the 2026-27 season.
According to The Fourth Period, Bedard is looking toward Kirill Kaprizov-level money, roughly $17 million per season, while Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson is "believed to have started contract talks in the $10 million to $12 million range."
“Connor Bedard is in for a payday,” Irfaan Gaffar said. “I think that Connor Bedard is looking at Kirill Kaprizov's money. I think that is a situation and that is a number that he’s looking at, and I do strongly believe that he thinks he deserves it. I’m not entirely sure the Chicago Blackhawks as an organization are close to that number when discussing Connor Bedard right now.”
Bedard's injury could affect those talks, but an offer sheet like the one presented to Carlsson by Philadelphia seems unlikely, according to Frank Seravalli, appearing on Oilers Now on July 6.
“I don’t,” Seravalli said when asked if Bedard would receive one. “No matter what, it’s an easy match; Chicago’s a really hard team to offer sheet.”
That leaves Bedard and the Blackhawks working toward a deal while his rehab begins, and with Bedard as the clear-cut franchise player of the Blackhawks heading into the 2026-27 season.
