Connor Bedard's next contract is a
top priority for the Blackhawks in an important offseason
[April 17, 2026]
By JAY COHEN
CHICAGO (AP) — Connor Bedard is going to get paid. That's for sure.
The only questions are how much and how many years.
It also looks as if Bedard is going to be named captain of the
Chicago Blackhawks. That seems like it's only a matter of timing.
That's the easy part of this offseason for Chicago. The rest of the
picture is more complicated.
The Blackhawks are moving into another big summer after going
29-39-14 this year, an 11-point improvement on the previous season
and still nowhere near playoff contention. They have finished No. 31
in the NHL each of the last three years.
“The end of the day, we’ve got to start winning,” Bedard said
Thursday, a day after the Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks 5-2 in
their season finale. “It’s been a while, and I think it takes a toll
on you, and you want to make that step. We talk about it all the
time, but it’s on us to go out there, have good summers, come back
and make that leap.”
It all begins with Bedard, who continued his steady improvement in
his third season since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2023. The
20-year-old center set career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in
69 games.
Bedard is eligible for restricted free agency, but it's unlikely
that his contract situation lingers for that long. He has said
repeatedly how much he likes playing in Chicago and expressed
confidence in the direction of the team. And Blackhawks general
manager Kyle Davidson has made it clear what the rebuilding
franchise thinks of its biggest star.
“We'll get that done, and we'll get to work soon on that," Davidson
said. "Like I said, he's so important to our team. He took such a
big step forward this year in every facet. So yeah, that's certainly
an important one to cross off the list.”
Bedard's contract may be a foregone conclusion, but the final
numbers in terms of length and cap hit will help the shape the
future of the franchise as it considers what it wants to do with the
rest of its top prospects as their rookie deals wind down.
“It's just seeing kind of what fits the team best, what fits me best
and just going from there kind of thing,” Bedard said. “So, you
know, I’m very open to however they see it and what they have to
say.”
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Chicago traded away its entire leadership group at
the deadline, sending captain Nick Foligno to Minnesota and
alternate captains Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson to Edmonton.
Playing without some of their top veteran leaders, the Blackhawks
went 6-11-4 in their last 21 games.
Bedard became an alternate captain after the Murphy deal, and he
said being named captain would be “a special, special honor for
sure.” His teammates think he's ready for the challenge, too.
“As a guy that has played with him and been on the
team since he’s been here, I’ve seen how he’s changed as a person
and player, and he’s shown everybody in this organization —
including me — that he knows what it takes to win,” fellow forward
Ryan Donato said. “He’s put in the work and he’s dedicated and
obviously he’s the franchise player. We want to make sure we play
our best for him, but he wants to give his best to every guy.”
Chicago put together a solid start in its first season under coach
Jeff Blashill, but it dropped off late in November. Then Bedard
injured his right shoulder on Dec. 12 and Frank Nazar broke his jaw
on Dec. 20, accelerating the decline for the team.
The Blackhawks have made just one postseason appearance since 2017,
and that was the expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Going into next season, it’s, playoffs are the expectation,”
defenseman Alex Vlasic said. “We’re not here to do this again. And
we all know that in the locker room. We have confidence in our
group.”
How much confidence Davidson has in his group of young players
remains to be seen. While it has become increasingly difficult to
sign an impact player in free agency, Davidson has the resources to
trade for a star if he can find the right match.
The Blackhawks drafted 11 players in the first round alone over the
previous four years. They will have another top-four selection in
this year's draft, along with three second rounders.
“We're definitely going to explore what's out there,” said Davidson,
who finalized a multiyear contract extension with the team before
the season finale. “I don't think I'm shy to try things. Just
nothing has arisen in the last little while to make that happen. But
we're going to look at what we can do to add to the roster, of
course.”
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