Connor Bedard had the opportunity to chase a historic contract after Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson reset the NHL salary market, but the Chicago Blackhawks star never considered leaving his franchise's path.
Bedard signed a five-year, $75 million extension with the Blackhawks on Saturday, giving him a $15 million average annual value. The deal makes him the third-highest-paid player in the NHL behind Carlsson and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov.
According to Bedard’s agent Don Meehan, speaking to The Athletic, the Carlsson situation never changed his player’s approach or led him to seek a bigger deal.
“Connor made it clear even after the (Carlsson) offer sheet — and before the offer sheet — that he had no intention of signing an offer sheet, that he was happy in Chicago, believed in the organization, believed in his teammates, and was quite content and happy to stay exactly where he was in Chicago,” Meehan said.
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Carlsson signed a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers before the Ducks matched it, creating a new benchmark for young NHL stars.
The Blackhawks selected Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, with Carlsson going to Anaheim with the No. 2 pick.
Through their first three seasons in the league, Bedard has scored 203 points in 219 regular-season games compared to Carlsson's 141 in 201 — Carlsson added 11 more points in 12 postseason games to his tally last season.
Even though Bedard has put up better individual numbers, Meehan said his client remained focused on giving Chicago flexibility to continue building around him instead of seeking the maximum possible deal.
“It’s certainly reflective of the changing economic climate in our game today,” Meehan said. “But as far as Connor was concerned, he was happy with the original position that we had submitted to Chicago and negotiated.
“He wanted the team to have as much leeway to make the team as effective and competitive as it could be. He became aware of the changing economic landscape, but that was his decision, entirely his decision.”
Bedard’s extension keeps him under contract through the 2030-31 season and includes $9.8 million signing bonuses in each year, matching his No. 98 jersey.
