Bold claim: Connor Bedard is already proving he will be the championship-caliber centerpiece the Chicago Blackhawks need. In Las Vegas, contract talks with Bedard for next summer have become both costlier and, surprisingly, more straightforward as time passes. Bedard’s rapid ascent to elite NHL status at age 20 has likely driven his asking price from substantial to astronomical. With the salary cap continuing to climb, a case for an $15 million annual cap hit on an eight-year deal isn’t unreasonable.
Still, landing one of the league’s top players in his prime is a superb—indeed, fantastic—position for Chicago. Regardless of price, securing him is worth it. Many franchises would trade places with the Hawks in a heartbeat.
What makes this situation even more intriguing is that Bedard’s negotiations may hinge less on pure performance and upside and more on how much cap space both sides are willing to allot. The goal would be to preserve enough flexibility to build a contending roster around him. In other words, Bedard has already cemented his role as a potential championship-builder for the franchise.
A star of Bedard’s caliber can tilt the odds, turning a team like the Hurricanes—strong and deep but still seeking their deepest playoff run—into a true title threat, and elevating a defending-champion like the Panthers. Without him, Chicago’s rebuild would feel riskier; with him, the trajectory looks markedly more certain. He’s a game-changing presence who can scare opponents every night and every shift.
Bedard’s rise isn’t just hype. His draft pedigree and growing fame have kept him in the spotlight for two years, and his on-ice dominance is justifying that attention this season.
During a recent third-period surge, Bedard raced into the neutral zone with colleagues joining the rush. The Vegas Golden Knights’ top defender, Shea Theodore, stood between him and the net. In most such moments, a player would dump the puck. Instead, Bedard pulled off a decisive inside-out move to create space, then fired a shot into the top corner for his 17th goal and 38th point in just 26 games.
That pace would imply about 54 goals and 120 points over a full season, a milestone only Denis Savard has matched in Blackhawks history. While steady reproduction of that pace is unlikely, Bedard is clearly on track to become the sixth Hawks player to reach 100 points (joining Savard, Jeremy Roenick, Patrick Kane, Bobby Hull, and Steve Larmer).
What makes this season remarkable is Bedard achieving these heights so early, with an incomplete supporting cast. He’s already navigating a truly special campaign.
Moreover, the improvement isn’t limited to offense. His faceoff percentage has leaped from 38.3% last season to 49.0 this season. Defensively, he’s leveraging his natural instincts—his quick hands and vision—to create turnovers and ease pressure. Coach Jeff Blashill consistently praises his work ethic and winning habits. Six minutes after his go-ahead goal, Bedard chased down a puck in his own zone, won a critical battle against Mark Stone, and calmly cleared it to safety.
Despite Bedard’s standout performance, Chicago still dropped a shootout on Tuesday. A standout shootout goal by Bedard wasn’t enough, as bad luck and execution issues in tight games limited the team’s wins this season. The 10-9-6 Hawks have underperformed relative to Bedard’s dominance.
Long term, though, Bedard is poised to deliver a steady stream of victories for Chicago once the roster is fully built around him. That trajectory now feels inevitable.
