Connor Bedard's $75M Blackhawks Contract Bets on Health
Key Takeaways
- Connor Bedard signed a five-year, $75 million contract, making him one of the NHL's highest-paid players. - Left shoulder surgery in July is his second shoulder injury in seven months, sidelining him for the first month-plus of the upcoming season. - The Blackhawks have missed the playoffs eight of the last nine seasons and need a significant improvement to reach a wildcard spot. - Bedard's production matches Patrick Kane's exact career pace, but Kane signed into a far better situation.
Connor Bedard is the highest-paid commitment in Chicago Blackhawks history and he currently cannot shoot a hockey puck. That tension defines the summer for a franchise going all-in on a player who has yet to appear in a single NHL postseason game.
The Blackhawks gave their No. 1 pick from the 2023 draft a five-year, $75 million contract with a substantial average annual value.
Only Leo Carlsson and Kirill Kaprizov make more in the entire league. Then Bedard went under the knife for left shoulder surgery in July, with a recovery that keeps him out for the first month-plus of the season.
And Bedard's response?
Playoffs or bust.
Bedard's contract and shoulder raise questions
Start with the money. A significant annual salary for a player with zero career playoff games is a massive bet.
The Blackhawks have missed the playoffs eight of the last nine seasons, including all years with Bedard on the roster. Teams don't usually pay non-playoff players like top-three talents in the sport.
But the numbers justify the gamble. Bedard has produced at a high level in his career. And he led Chicago in scoring in each of his first three seasons. The talent is obvious. The trajectory points toward stardom.
The problem is the shoulders. The July surgery repaired his left shoulder, making it the second shoulder injury in seven months. He hurt the right shoulder earlier and chose not to have surgery.
Now the left one needed a full repair.
Two separate shoulders. Two separate injuries. For a team cutting $75 million in checks, that medical history should be terrifying. Shoulder problems sap shot power, puck protection, and confidence along the boards.
If Bedard returns in November but needs weeks to rediscover his game, Chicago could be buried before December.
Can the Blackhawks make the playoffs in the upcoming season?
Not without a near-miraculous start.
Chicago had a disappointing record last season, finishing last in the Central Division for the third consecutive year. Recent Western Conference wildcard cutoffs suggest the Hawks need a significant improvement just to reach the playoff line.
That is not steady growth. A transformation from the bottom to a contender. And they have to do it without their best player for the first month of the schedule.
The math is ugly.
Chicago won a limited number of games last season. A significant jump means finding more wins somewhere in a standings sheet that offered zero easy nights. The Central Division has been and remains brutal. Nobody rolls over in that group.
Is Connor Bedard the next Patrick Kane?
The parallel is almost spooky. Bedard's production exactly matches Patrick Kane's output through the same number of career games.
Kane also signed a five-year deal after his entry-level contract, then later parlayed it into an extension.
But Kane had something Bedard does not: a proven supporting cast. Kane walked into an organization with established veterans who knew how to win in this league. Bedard is trying to drag a last-place team into April hockey with a roster built on potential rather than proven depth.
The individual talent says Bedard can be Kane.
The situation says Chicago is asking him to do it on two damaged shoulders and a roster short on track record.
So watch the first month of the season. If the Blackhawks are hovering around .500 when Bedard returns, this playoff promise has legs. If they are already out of contention by late November, it is rebuild year number four, no matter what the contract says.