The Chicago Blackhawks have locked in a cornerstone of their franchise’s near future. On Saturday, the Blackhawks announced that star center Connor Bedard has signed a five-year contract worth $75 million.
Bedard’s $15 million average annual value makes him the third-highest paid player in the NHL for the 2026-27 season. Only Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million) and freshly signed Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson ($18 million) is ahead of him.
“Connor has always defied our expectations since being drafted and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “He uses all aspects of the 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 sets an extraordinary standard for our young core, and we are excited for the incredible impact he will have on this next chapter of Blackhawks hockey.”
No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard has already shown offensive upside, though his overall game still needs work to do. Last season, Bedard posted a career-high 75 points in 69 games. In 219 NHL games, Bedard has 75 goals and 128 assists.
The biggest questions relate to Bedard’s durability – he has played fewer than 70 games in two of three seasons and will the first time to come out of the mauris with a shoulder injury – and a subpar defense. Defense is a common problem for young centers and should improve in the coming years, but Bedard has already suffered through several shoulder injuries in his career.
When Bedard’s long-term contract is up, both he and the Blackhawks will try to take the next step toward greatness. For a player, this means developing their game to become the $15 million most people believe. For the team, that is around Beard with sufficient support, sent for the first time in his career.
Next steps to Bedard
First of all, Bedard must become healthy and stay healthy. After missing four games with a shoulder injury last year, Bedard has suffered another injury that requires skill to fix, and will miss nearly a dozen games out of the gate in 2026-27. These issues may be delaying his jump into the NHL elite ranks.
Once at full strength, Bedard will need to show improvement defensively. He’s oozing with offensive potential, but if Bedard is the center of the franchise’s true No. 1 is the future, it must prevail at both ends of the ice. With Bedard on the ice five-in-five in the last five seasons, Chicago has given up 3.60 xGA/60, per Natural Stat Trick. The second worst number on the team was Rookie Anton Frondell’s leadoff team.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Bedard was the Blackhawks worst defensive player, but it does mean he often struggled when going up against the opposing team’s best players. Stars – especially those raking in $15 million per season – are expected to play for their team on a case-by-case basis. Bedard didn’t last season.
with Bedard | 40.1% | minus-12 |
Without Bedard | 43.2% | minus-35 |
Bedard also needs to show more growth in the face-off circle. To his credit, Bedard has already done this, going from 38.9% as a rookie to 47.1% last season. Still, Chicago would probably like to see Bedard closer to 50%, especially when he’s making key plays in big moments. Maybe that number keeps rising as Bedard strengthens and adds more tricks to the game.
If Bedard can get his game going without the puck, $15 million will be a lot of time, especially when salaries are exploding across the league.
The next step is clinical
We’ve already seen what can happen when a restricted free agent has all the pressure to negotiate contracts. The Ducks essentially bailed on a $90 million contract after the Philadelphia Flyers signed Carlsson to a large offer sheet.
That Bedard risk was also there, which is why Davidson deserves some credit for signing him in a more reasonable fashion. Bedard still has work to do to reach that price, but the cap hit is worth at least $15 million per season.
The Blackhawks can help their young star by putting more NHL-ready players around him. Chicago traded to the Bulls in hopes of landing Bedard in the 2023 draft, and while that plan worked, it was also a rare hit around No. 1overall choose did. Over the last three seasons, Bedard has had little help.
Chicago has already improved its defense since acquiring Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres. Say what you will about the acquisition cost or the $75 contract extension, but Byram inarguably makes Chicago better on the blue line. That unit still needs work, but it’s a step in the right direction.
The real issue is finding Bedard material running at the top of the line. Outside of Bedard, only one other player topped 50 points in 2025-26, and that was 31-year-old Tyler Bertuzzi. Chicago still has $14.1 million in cap space to add firepower, but some upgrades will have to come internally.
It’s possible the Blackhawks’ lineup includes seven players selected within the top 50 picks of the last five drafts.
This is an exciting proposition, and it fuels the future of football. That said, none of the players have really established themselves as future stars, outside of Bedard. Frondell, Nazar, and Rinzel seem like the best bets right away, but they’re based more on projection than anything tangible.
The first month of the season should be an excellent barometer for the Blackhawks as they assess their players. Bedard will be out of the lineup, and it will be interesting to see who sinks and who swims until he returns. With Chicago confirming exactly what it has in its young core, Davidson can go out and address the offensive needs through trades and free agents.