Blackhawks, Bedard have begun extension talks

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said the club and franchise center Connor Bedard are in the early stages of negotiating a contract extension.

"I probably don't want to get too far into it, but we are talking," Davidson said Tuesday, per NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "So, I think that's an indicator of an openness to discuss.

"He made his thoughts very clear at the end of the season, and subsequently in other interviews, that he's committed to Chicago and wants to be here long term, and we obviously want him here long term, so there's mutual agreement there."

Bedard said at his end-of-season availability that he wants to be a Blackhawk for a long time. The soon-to-be 20-year-old became eligible to sign an extension July 1 and will play out the final season of his entry-level contract in 2025-26.

Davidson would prefer to get a deal done soon, but he acknowledged the rising salary cap and the league's new collective bargaining agreement could delay putting pen to paper.

"I think the new salary-cap marketplace, it's going to stall some (contract talks)," he said. “It's going to make some of these a little more drawn out (than) maybe they would have been in the past on a more flat cap. But yeah, we've started (talking) and we'll see if something gets done."

The Blackhawks only have $32.2 million committed to their 2026-27 roster, which would be the first year of Bedard's new deal. The projected salary cap for that season is $104 million.

Bedard hasn't hit the heights expected of him when he was drafted first overall in 2023, but he's led the Blackhawks in scoring in both his NHL campaigns. He notched 67 points in 82 games last season for a Chicago squad that finished 31st in the league standings.