{"id":340305,"date":"2026-05-25T09:01:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T03:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=340305"},"modified":"2026-05-25T09:01:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T03:31:36","slug":"the-chicago-blackhawks-and-connor-bednard-negotiating-a-contract-extension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/25\/the-chicago-blackhawks-and-connor-bednard-negotiating-a-contract-extension\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chicago Blackhawks and Connor Bednard Negotiating a Contract Extension"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Term will play a giant role in the cash that Connor Bedard will get on a contract extension<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Each day Faceoff<\/strong><\/a>: David Pagnotta, on the Chicago Blackhawks and pending RFA forward Connor Bedard<\/a>\u2018s agents have been going forwards and backwards, different term and money. Bedard\u2019s deal could have an impact on the contracts of just a few other players as well, if it gets done first.<\/p>\n

Irf Gaffar: \u201cI\u2019ve heard that they\u2019ve had talks forwards and backwards. Bedard camp perhaps hasn\u2019t liked what the Chicago camp has put in front of him to start out, but this can be a negotiation, and it would occur here in some unspecified time in the future.<\/p>\n

What do you make of the situation happening in Chicago with the Bedard? Actually, I don\u2019t even wish to call it a situation, since it\u2019s not \u2013 they\u2019re gonna get it done. What do you make of this? What do you make of the talks here happening?<\/p>\n

Pagnotta: \u201cYeah, the negotiations are ongoing, they\u2019re going forwards and backwards. Nothing is negative, really. It\u2019s just as you said, this can be a negotiation. Different variations, different options are being discussed forwards and backwards. Going full term, going to take him to the top of his RFA status, right before that final 12 months before he can get to UFA, so he\u2019s still controllable.<\/p>\n

And the numbers will dictate form of, the dollars, fairly, will dictate what those terms are going to be, or I assume vice versa. You already know, you\u2019re hearing $14 million AAV, hearing $15 (million), $16 (million), will depend on what the term is.<\/p>\n

And with the cap going up, we\u2019re at $104 (million) for next season. I believe lots of persons are going to have to return to the belief that the salaries within the NHL across the board are going to get higher. (Timothy) Liljegren\u2019s $3.25 million cap hit with Washington, lots of people were like, \u201cWhoa, that\u2019s could be so much for him.\u2019 Well, not likely. That\u2019s, that\u2019s going rate. And that was actually a reasonably good deal for either side to get that one done.<\/p>\n

So, with the best way the market is shifting, yeah, Bedard\u2019s contract goes to affect others as well. It\u2019s going to affect Macklin Celebrini<\/a> in some unspecified time in the future. It\u2019s going to affect Leo Carlsson<\/a> and Cutter Gauthier<\/a> right away, as they\u2019re searching for recent deals in Anaheim. Like, all of those are going to form of be connected somewhat bit.<\/p>\n

But with Bedard specifically, it\u2019s either full-term otherwise you\u2019re going shorter-term, so you retain that RFA status, and that term will dictate, you realize, what those dollars really are going to be Irf. However it doesn\u2019t sound like there\u2019s anybody panicking; it\u2019s only a negotiation. They got to undergo it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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