The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Saturday afternoon that they’d agreed to a brand new five-year contract price $75 million with the primary overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, Connor Bedard. Bedard’s recent contract carries an annual average value of $15 million.
BREAKING: #Blackhawks sign Connor Bedard to a 5-year contract extension at a cap hit of $15 million.
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) July 18, 2026
Bedard is following within the footsteps of Sidney Crosby with regards to the number superstition. We all know Crosby has an $8.7 million AAV due to his number 87. Well, Bedard, who wears jersey number 98, will get a $9.8 million signing bonus in yearly of the deal.
The #Blackhawks signed 21 y/o F Connor Bedard to a 5 yr $15M cap hit contract
Yr 1: $7.2M Salary, $9.8M Signing Bonus
Yr 2: $6.2M/$9.8M
Yr 3: $5.2M/$9.8M
Yr 4: $4.2M/$9.8M
Yr 5: $3.2M/$9.8MFull NMC in Yr 5, deal covers 1 UFA season
Rep’d by Greg Landry @TheHockeyAgency…
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 18, 2026
Entering the 2026 offseason, many wondered which of Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli would sign their extension first, with others to follow. All three players were waiting for the opposite to set the market as they discussed their plans after the season.
NHL News: Connor Bedard, Barrett Hayton, Libor Hajek, and Reilly Walsh
Leo Carlsson set the market once the Anaheim Geese matched the five-year, $18 million-a-season offer sheet presented by the Philadelphia Flyers. Most figured Bedard would are available in at that figure or perhaps more. Most figured Bedard would get $16-$17 million per season from the Blackhawks, as mentioned during an appearance on Friday on the SiriusXM NHL Network Radio Power Play segment.
As well as, if the Blackhawks weren’t going to pay him that type of money, one other team would. Nevertheless, signing a suggestion sheet never crossed Bedard’s mind. He believed in what was being inbuilt Chicago.
“Connor made it clear even after the (Carlsson) offer sheet — and before the offer sheet — that he had no intention of signing a suggestion sheet, that he was glad in Chicago, believed within the organization, believed in his teammates, and was quite content and glad to remain exactly where he was in Chicago,” Bedard’s agent Don Meehan said.
Entering the 206-27 season, Connor Bedard shall be the third-highest-paid player within the NHL at $15 million a season. Carlsson set the bar with an $18 million AAV, followed by Kirill Kaprizov with an AAV of $17 million. Like with quarterbacks within the NFL, there’ll all the time be one other player seeking to be the highest-paid player by way of AAV within the NHL.
Macklin Celebrini Extension Eligible, and Connor Bedard Will Get A Big Recent Deal
So far as the term goes, Bedard is following within the footsteps of Auston Matthews, who signed a five-year cope with the Toronto Maple Leafs, coming out of his entry-level deal. Following that, Matthews signed a four-year deal that currently has two years left.
The Auston Matthews trend of taking the mid range deal and maximizing your value on multiple deals with a rising cap is in a full effect #blackhawks
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) July 18, 2026
Young players are beginning to take notice of the rising salary cap; thus, they’re taking these mid-range deals to maximise their value on the open market multiple times. The Auston Matthews trend has followed and are available to the NHL.
As well as, like Matthews, Bedard’s first contract out of entry level takes up about 14.4 percent of the salary cap. Matthews took up 14.3 percent of the cap.
Connor Bedard’s second NHL contract:
• 5 years x $15 million cap hit = $75 million total
• Cap %: 14.4Auston Matthews’ second NHL contract:
• 5 years x $11.634 million cap hit = $58.195 million million total
• Cap %: 14.3Cap percentage is almost similar. #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) July 19, 2026
Patrick Kane Deciding Between the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres
The Chicago Blackhawks are still a piece in progress with Bedard, Frank Nazar, Spencer, and Bowen Byram. Remember, GM Kyle Davidson sent the fourth overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Byram after which signed him to a six-year cope with an AAV of $12.5 million.
?Night Cap Recap ?
Connor Bedard Signs Extension in Chicago
Good Value Deal #blackhawks pic.twitter.com/g3ueDQ68gy
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) July 18, 2026
All eyes are on Adam Fantilli and the Columbus Blue Jackets to see where he is available in at and the length of the deal.
Not to say, it’s time for the Chicago Blackhawks to take strides. Can they do it with Connor Bedard sidelined with a shoulder injury for abou six weeks to start out the season?
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