Blackhawks: Bedard’s Five-Year Extension Wins Both Sides – Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

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

The deal is a win-win for both parties. The Blackhawks have a very important postseason that is locked up for the foreseeable future, and Bedard has positioned himself well over time.

Blackhawks Lock in “Elite” Bedard

When the signing was announced, general manager Kyle Davidson said, “Connor has defied expectations since he was drafted, and has proven himself to be a top player in the NHL.”

That is an understatement. Since making his NHL debut, he has won the Calder Trophy for the best rookie in the NHL and has been an All-Star. In addition to being honored, in the last three years he has been with the Blackhawks, he has led the team in scoring.

Last season he was clear for Bedard, as he reached the stage where he was in the top three in the NHL in scoring, alongside Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Unfortunately, if he had missed 12 games due to a shoulder injury, who knows how that scoring streak would have gone? But it brings a lot of hope for Bedard’s abilities.

By looking at Bedard, he has established exactly what the Blackhawks saw when they first drafted him in 2023. He has the ability and productivity to drive the team, and he can lead the team on and off the ice, loved by his teammates and coaches for his relentless performance.

Which brings us to another aspect of leading a team: the captain. The Blackhawks envisioned Bedard as their future captain when they drafted him, and that will be the result at some point, especially with the cap space open after the trade of Nick Foligno at the deadline.

The contract is a win-win for both parties

When center Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks) received a five-year deal ($18M AAV) from the Philadelphia Flyers, it appeared that maybe that was the name Bedard should be looking at.

The fact that the Blackhawks and Bedard have agreed to a $15M AAV is very cooperative with the team. If you look at the Blackhawks’ cap space, even after signing that deal, they still have more than $14 million in cap space to play with if they want to make another move this summer, especially with Bedard out for four months after shoulder surgery. (Patrick Kane is an option out there).

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

As the salary cap continues to rise, Bedard could easily surpass the $15M AAV. He continues to improve as his points have increased every year he has played, including 75 points in 69 games last season. Also, he is only 21 years old. When his contract expires, he’ll be in prime form and set himself up for another major payday.

Both parties benefit from this agreement. Bedard is (rightly) the highest paid player on the team, and both are shaping up well for the future.

Another part of his agreement, according to PuckPediahe only has a full no-movement clause in the final year of his deal, and his signing bonus is $9.8M per season, reminiscent of his jersey number 98.

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

But the Blackhawks know that one of the first steps to getting where they want to be is having Bedard up front. If he continues to elevate his game, which is likely to be strong, that will stand them in good stead for the next five years and beyond.

Bedard has always made it clear that he wants to stay and win in Chicago and is eager to grow with his teammates.

With the contract signed, the Blackhawks couldn’t be more excited about the future.

As Davidson concluded in a statement about Bedard, “He uses every aspect 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 work ethic and determination to constantly improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core, and we are excited about Black hockey’s incredible contribution to this next phase of hockey.”