CHICAGO (AP) — Connor Bedard never had any doubt about where he wanted to be. Every time the young center was asked about his future, his answer was always essentially the same.
That answer ultimately led to a five-year, $75 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I’ve said (it) so much and it’s not anything fake. Chicago’s really, you know, the only place I want to play,” Bedard said.
The new agreement was made public on Saturday, one day after Bedard turned 21. It brings stability to both the player and the rebuilding franchise — though it always felt more like a question of final dollar figures than whether a deal would actually happen.
Some outside drama entered the picture when fellow restricted free agent Leo Carlsson signed a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with Philadelphia, only to return to Anaheim after the Ducks chose to match the deal. None of that, however, shook Bedard from his course.
Chicago was always the destination.
“I’m very happy with the amount of money I’m making. You know, it’s a lot,” a laughing Bedard said Monday in his first public remarks since the contract was announced. “I think just with that, obviously the offer sheet is different as well. You know with a team trying to take a guy, it is going to be a different value. But for me, that didn’t change anything I was thinking.”
The contract was finalized after Bedard underwent surgery on his left shoulder on July 8. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft is expected to sit out the beginning of the season after injuring himself while skating with a group of NHL players in western Canada.
Shoulder trouble is nothing new for Bedard. He also missed 12 games last season after hurting his right shoulder on a faceoff during a 3-2 road loss at St. Louis on Dec. 12.
“You always do everything you can to try to prevent injury and stay healthy,” he said. “It’s a terrible part of the game but it’s something that you know I think for me to have this next little bit and go through that adversity and try to get stronger, you know, mentally in that way. That’s the way I’m trying to look at it and then come back.”
Bedard has been the cornerstone of Chicago’s lineup since making his long-anticipated NHL debut in October 2023. He continued to grow in his third season, posting career bests with 30 goals and 45 assists across 69 games.
Despite his individual success, team victories have been hard to come by. The Blackhawks finished last season at 29-39-14 — an 11-point improvement over the prior year, but still far from playoff territory. The club has ranked 31st in the NHL for three straight seasons.
Chicago is chasing its first postseason berth since the league used an expanded playoff format following the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.
In an effort to rebuild toward contention, general manager Kyle Davidson made a trade for defenseman Bowen Byram on June 23. The team also signed forward prospect Roman Kantserov in May, then brought in forward Cole Smith and defenseman Ian Cole on the opening day of free agency.
“I think we’ve had a great summer,” Bedard said.
Still, the team could benefit from another top-six forward — perhaps someone to skate alongside Bedard — and 37-year-old Patrick Kane remains available as a free agent. Kane, who helped Chicago capture three Stanley Cup titles before being traded to the New York Rangers in February 2023, is reportedly weighing a return to his original NHL home.
“That would be incredible to get to play with him and learn from him,” Bedard said. “So hopefully he decides to come back. … You talk about kind of the legacy aspect of it, but just as a team, it would make us a way better team. He’s still an amazing player.”
With the contract now behind him, the next major milestone for Bedard could be a leadership one. He could become the 36th captain in franchise history after being named an alternate captain when the team dealt away its entire previous leadership group in March.
“If I was able to get that honor, it would be so special and something that I know I wouldn’t take for granted for a second,” Bedard said. “But we got so many guys in the room that can lead.”
