Blackhawks: Bedard Five-Year Extension a Win For Both Sides – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

It was only a matter of time for Connor Bedard. The Chicago Blackhawks and Bedard agreed to a five-year, $15M AAV contract extension.

The deal is a win-win for both sides. The Blackhawks have the biggest priority of the offseason locked in for the foreseeable future, and Bedard set himself up nicely in the long term, too.

Blackhawks Lock in “Elite” Bedard

When the signing was announced, general manager Kyle Davidson said, “Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL.”

That is an understatement. Since he made his NHL debut, he has won the Calder Trophy for the best rookie in the NHL and has been an All-Star. Accolades aside, in the last three years he has been with the Blackhawks, he has led the team in scoring.

Last season was defining for Bedard, as he reached a point where he was top three in the NHL in scoring, alongside Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Unfortunately, if he hadn’t been sidelined for 12 games with a shoulder injury, who knows how that scoring race would have fared? But it brings plenty of optimism for Bedard’s potential.

By looking at Bedard, he has established exactly what the Blackhawks envisioned when they drafted him first overall in 2023. He has the talent and production that can drive a team, and he can also lead a team on and off the ice, being beloved by his teammates and coaches for his insatiable work ethic.

Which brings us to the other part of leading a team: the captaincy. The Blackhawks surely envisioned Bedard being their future captain when they drafted him, and that will be the likely outcome at some point, especially with an open vacancy after Nick Foligno was traded at the trade deadline.

Contract is A Win For Both Sides

When center Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks) originally got a five-year ($18M AAV) offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers, it seemed like maybe that was the term that eyes should be looking at for Bedard.

The fact that the Blackhawks and Bedard agreed on the $15M AAV is very team-friendly. Looking at the Blackhawks’ cap space, even after signing that deal, they still have over $14 million in cap space to play around with if they want to make any other moves this summer, especially with Bedard being out for an estimated four months after getting shoulder surgery. (Patrick Kane is an option out there).

It benefits them even next summer, when more of their young core will be looking for new deals, such as Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov, and Oliver Moore.

As the salary cap continues to rise, Bedard can easily outplay the $15M AAV. He continues to get better and better, as his points have risen each year he has played, including 75 points in 69 games last season. Also, he is only 21 years old. By the time his contract is up, he will still be very much in his prime and set himself up for another significant payday.

Both sides benefit from this deal. Bedard is (correctly) the highest-paid player on the team, and both are setting themselves up nicely for the future.

The other part of his deal is, according to PuckPedia, he only has a full no-movement clause in the final year of his deal, and his signing bonus is $9.8M a season, which is reminiscent of his jersey number 98.

The Blackhawks want to take that next step forward. In Bedard’s next five years, all this rebuild talk should be in the rearview mirror as the team should progress.

But the Blackhawks know that one of the first steps to getting to where they want to be is having Bedard at the forefront. If he continues to elevate his game, which is a strong probability, that will put them in a good spot over the next five years and beyond.

Bedard has always made it clear he wanted to stay and win in Chicago and was eager to grow alongside his teammates.

With the contract now signed, the Blackhawks couldn’t be more thrilled for what’s to come.

As Davidson concluded in the statement about Bedard, “He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice. Connor’s strong work ethic and determination to always improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core, and we’re excited for the incredible impact he’ll have in this next chapter of Blackhawks hockey.”