Connor Bedard is exactly the player we thought he’d be.
After being heralded as a generational prospect before the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard got off to a bit of a slow start—well, certainly not slow, but maybe not quite hitting superstar caliber. But after two full years in the league, he’s finally turned into one of the faces of the entire NHL, cementing his status as a top-10 player across the league. He’s picked up 17 goals and 38 points in just 26 games this year, putting together impressive highlight reels night after night. His latest, an insane goal in the third period Tuesday, came at the end of a 1:27 shift. Bedard has put the team on his back numerous times this year, and he’s the main reason why the Blackhawks are exceeding expectations.
What makes the situation even better for Bedard is that he bet on himself this past summer. He was eligible for an extension, and would have gotten a nice payday as the future of the franchise. I would’ve had him in the $8-9 million range before the year kicked off. But this year, he’s earned himself what should be one of the biggest paydays in the league. Just how much could his next contract be?
Let’s face it—Bedard can ask for just about as much as he wants if he keeps this pace up through the rest of the season. He’s the reason behind most of their wins, and that kind of production exceeds numerical value.
As a reminder, the list of top AAVs in the game is exploding right now. Leon Draisaitl set the new high bar in September 2024 with a $14 million average annual value, then Jack Eichel inked a deal this October that will pay him $13.5 million annually. But just before that, Kirill Kaprizov blew those numbers out of the water, signing an eight-year, $136 million extension with Minnesota with an AAV of $17 million.
On Wednesday morning, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote a column that mentioned Bedard’s next contract:
“In fact, he’s proving to be so good that the negotiations might not end up centered on his performance and upside at all. Instead, his and the Hawks’ camps might find themselves determining what cap hit both sides agree would give the team enough remaining space and flexibility to assemble a contending roster around him.”
– Ben Pope, Chicago Sun-Times
The Blackhawks certainly don’t have cap problems now, but they might eventually. A player of Bedard’s caliber will want an eight-year deal, as a bridge contract doesn’t make sense for either side.
With that being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bedard’s next deal breaks the $13 million threshold. That would put him around fourth in AAV in the league (which is around where he is in points already at age 20) and could make him a steal a few years down the road. With the cap expected to explode over the next few years, and Chicago having plenty of flexibility under the ceiling, the Blackhawks should be thrilled to get him for around $13 million over the next eight years. Because anyone who has watched Bedard on the ice this season knows that no matter how much his next contract costs, it’ll be worth it. Players like Bedard don’t come around too often.
