Bedard Sidelined Until November, Blackhawks Say – Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

The hockey world learned Wednesday afternoon (Jul. 8) that Chicago Blackhawks junior star Connor Bedard had successful surgery on his left shoulder, after injuring it while skating in the summer offseason. His recovery time is expected to be four months, which will see him back on the ice in early November.

This is a tough blow for the Blackhawks, who are struggling to get out of rebuilding mode and take that next step in contention. Let’s take a look at the implications of having their best player out for at least the first month of the season, and how they can overcome it.

The effects of the injury on Bedard

To update, Bedard was skating in one of his regular sessions with other NHL players at the Scotia Barn in Burnaby, just outside of his hometown of Vancouver. Last Thursday (Jul. 2), in what appeared to be a fall, the 20-year-old left the ice clutching his left shoulder and in obvious pain.

I have video of Connor Bedard leaving practice today with a left shoulder injury, as first reported by @RyanmcgregorCHI. You can hear him in great pain as he comes off the ice: pic.twitter.com/MySM1UwLht

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) July 2, 2026

No more news until the update after his surgery. Ironically, Bedard injured his right shoulder during last season’s scrimmage on Dec. 12, causing him to miss four weeks of playing time. This injury did not require surgery, but he was limited to no more faceoffs when he returned to play. He returned to action at the end of the season, but opted out of the IIHF World Championships in May, citing rest and recovery from his right shoulder during the offseason.

Do two shoulder injuries in less than a year make Bedard injury prone? Or is this just luck? It’s hard to say. All we can do right now is speculate, and hope Bedard puts his injury behind him.

What we do know is that the young Blackhawk cornerstone will miss training camp and at least the first month of the 2026-27 season. The season also starts earlier this year thanks to a new 84-game schedule. We’ll find out for sure on July 16, but the Blackhawks’ first game will likely be at the end of September.

Injury Update on Connor Bedard ❤️ pic.twitter.com/v1SXNAdSp8

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 8, 2026

The good news is that Bedard is still young and very determined. When he broke his jaw midway through his rookie season, he was begging for permission to return to play long before his expected time was up. Admittedly, the shoulder is less important in playing hockey than the jaw. But I’m sure Bedard will do everything in his power to get back on the ice as soon as possible.

Bedard’s Contract Continues

On top of all this, Bedard is a restricted free agent and has a new contract. The Blackhawks offered him a qualifying offer in June, but that was because negotiations were still ongoing. Then Leo Carlsson, selected one spot behind Bedard in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers that will pay him $18 million per year for the next five years.

This likely made matters difficult for Bedard and the Blackhawks. He probably wasn’t given an offer sheet by another team because of the uncertainty of his injury, or because he refused to consider another team based on his loyalty to the Blackhawks.

But either way, Carlsson’s big contribution may have raised the bar on how much Bedard will be paid. But will the injury now affect the negotiations? If I were Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson, I would come to work and pay Bedard what he deserves, injury be damned!

However, I am of the opinion that a deal may already be in place. Bedard signed his entry-level contract at the age of 18^th birthday, July 17, 2023. Is this the tradition he wants to keep, and all parties involved wait until he turns 21 to announce his next contract?

I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Who Will Be With Bedard?

Bedard was the leading scorer for the Blackhawks last season. His contributions will be hard to replace. Let’s face it; the team is built around him. Repairs will definitely need to be made in his absence.

There was some controversy at the end of last season when rookie Anton Frondell usurped Frank Nazar’s spot as the team’s second baseman. Nazar was then demoted to third-line center. There has been some debate about whether Frondell or Nazar would do better on the wing, but that’s a moot point now. With Bedard out as the No. 1, Frondell and Nazar will likely slot in as the top two down the middle.

After them, I think Oliver Moore is about to step into the middle. He played better there last season than he did on the wing. Ryan Greene could play center, especially since he won’t have Bedard to play with and round out the top six. This could also be an opportunity for center Sacha Boisvert to make the team out of training camp.

Outside of center, veterans Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen will have to step up their games to support the younger players. This could be Nick Lardis’ moment to really shine. Roman Kantserov will be completely new to the NHL. But the pressure will be on him to make an impact sooner rather than later.

It won’t be easy, but the Blackhawks will need to adopt the following mindset. Who knows, maybe the exit of their top player will allow others to step up their game just as quickly. Then when they bring Bedard back into the fold, watch out!

I understand that this is a very good idea. But you can bet this is the attitude the Blackhawks will need to have, and one that head coach Jeff Blashill will preach. It is very unfortunate that Bedard is injured. But at least it happened in the offseason. When he comes back he may be rusty, but he will also be fresh and ready to go.

Now to sign that contract and keep looking at the long term future.