The Chicago Blackhawks took a major step in their rebuilding effort on Saturday, locking up young star forward Connor Bedard with a five-year contract extension totaling $75 million.
The deal carries an annual salary cap hit of $15 million and will keep Bedard in Chicago through the 2030-31 season. Among all NHL players, only two contracts carry a higher average annual value — Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks at $18 million and Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov at $17 million. The announcement came just one day after Bedard turned 21 years old.
Bedard made a strong case for the big-money deal last season, posting career-best numbers with 30 goals, 45 assists, and 75 points across 69 games. He topped the Blackhawks in assists, points, and game-winning goals with five, while finishing second on the team in goals scored.
The North Vancouver, British Columbia native became just the third player in franchise history to score 30 goals in a season at age 20 or younger, joining the company of Jonathan Toews and Eric Daze. He also reached the 200 career points milestone in April, making him the first Blackhawks player and the 13th player in NHL history to accomplish that feat before turning 21.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson praised the young forward in a news release, saying, “Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL.”
Since Chicago selected him with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard has accumulated 75 goals and 128 assists for 203 points in 219 games. In his debut season, he claimed the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie after tallying 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games during the 2023-24 campaign.
While the extension checks off one of the team’s top offseason priorities, Bedard’s return to the ice will be delayed. He underwent surgery earlier this month to fix an injury to his left shoulder that occurred during an offseason workout, and the Blackhawks expect his recovery to last roughly four months.
Chicago has not made the playoffs since the expanded postseason format was introduced in 2020 and finished 31st overall for the third year in a row in 2025-26. Despite that, the team showed improvement by adding 11 points in the standings last season and has continued building around its young talent, most recently acquiring defenseman Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason.
