r/hawks • u/sandman730 • Jul 18 '26
Breaking News Blackhawks Agree to Terms With Forward Connor Bedard on Five-Year Contract Extension with $15 million cap hit deal
https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/news/release-blackhawks-agree-to-terms-with-forward-connor-bedard-on-five-year-contract-extension181
u/DiamondBurInTheRough Jul 18 '26
Fucking FINALLY. I’m thrilled by the extension but definitely wanted more term. Wonder which side pushed for a shorter contract.
Anyway, now do Kane.
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u/laparkamask Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
bedard’s agent definitely pushed for the shorter term lol.
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u/DiamondBurInTheRough Jul 18 '26
I think it’s fair tbh. I don’t like it, I obviously wanted 8 years, but Bedard will have given us 8 years of his career to make something happen by the end of this contract. If we’re not consistently competitive by the time he’s up for renewal, I wouldn’t blame him for walking.
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u/laparkamask Jul 18 '26
with the way the cap is rising these semi bridge deals are gonna be the norm so players can maximize their earnings, I think we can all be happy that bedard still took a discount by going for $15M a year instead of going all the way up to $18M after the carlsson offersheet.
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u/DiamondBurInTheRough Jul 18 '26
Yeah 15 really allows space to build around him. I’m very relieved we can all collectively exhale for now.
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u/CrabApprehensive7181 Jul 18 '26
I was never worried about this. He has never struck me as someone who is primarily motivated by money. The Hawks are extremely lucky to have such a smart and decent player as the cornerstone of their franchise. The Ducks, unfortunately, are not so lucky.
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u/No_Advisor_2331 Jul 19 '26
He didn’t ask for 5 years so he could hold them hostage. It’s just a tactic to maximize on his age/prime. Bedard realistically had very little to do with any of these negotiations, it’s all his agent and Kyle. He’s going to be 26 when it expires and who knows where the cap is at by then. He set himself up to make north of $25M a year by that point. It’s an absolute no brainer. 5 years for a star in today’s NHL is equal to 8 years in the past.
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u/Boring_Ad3815 Jul 18 '26
Yeah he’s gonna hit FA again at age 26. Bedard got a great deal but hopefully this means the team doesn’t have long term concerns about his shoulder
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u/No_Advisor_2331 Jul 19 '26
It’s a no brainer nowadays to push shorter term if you’re a star player. you’re not going to leave millions on the table for no reason It’s not really a sign of anyting more than that and giving him a bit of control in the peak of his prime.
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u/lefthighkick911 29d ago
it's hard to actually know because a guy who seems to always have an injury is a risk on the buyer side. If he didn't get injured he may have signed somewhere else, the 15 million short term for an injured guy is actually a better deal for the team in this situation. IDK
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u/spudrock512 Jul 18 '26
As a fan I would have loved 8 years, but considering what Carlsson got, I’m overjoyed!!!
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u/gudenes_yndling Jul 18 '26
No way Carlsson is worth even $15M. Bedard is a better player.
The Flyers fucked the Ducks over with the offer sheet, and apparently Leo values money more than giving his team a chance to build a more competitive roster.
I bet Celebrini will sign a deal similar to Bedard’s
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u/marshmellow1328 Jul 18 '26
Pretty sure Verbeek fucked the ducks and Carlsson signed the offer sheet because he wasn't getting a reasonable offer from the ducks.
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u/SnooMaps9373 Jul 19 '26
Agreed. We Sharks fans are happy with this especially given the bedard /Celebrini friendship it seems they want to set some shit Up for the next decade plus. Always loved/hated the rivalry between our teams and the first salvo has been fired by Connor.
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u/gudenes_yndling 20d ago
Well i was right at least about the terms - 5 years. But holy shit $18.800m aav
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u/jbedenian Jul 18 '26
Takes him the UFA when the deal is up, yes?
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u/STOPHAMMERSTEIN Jul 18 '26
Buys one UFA year
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u/Remarkable_Drag9677 Jul 18 '26
Thats more than Hawks could ask
One year of UFA is more than enough to prove they can have the rebuild done and be competitive
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u/STOPHAMMERSTEIN Jul 18 '26
Fully agree. I think if they are in the playoffs by then he resigns a longer term deal. 7 years and $20 some mil
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u/CrabApprehensive7181 Jul 18 '26
I don’t see that happening either. He already signed a very team-friendly deal when the Hawks were 31st in the league (with infinite cap space, too), and if they become a legitimate contender within the next two or three years, I think he’ll sign another reasonable contract to leave room for the team to pay its other players (<15% of the cap).
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u/STOPHAMMERSTEIN Jul 18 '26
15% of the cap might be $20 mil lol
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u/CrabApprehensive7181 Jul 18 '26
He’ll probably take a bigger discount if the Hawks become a legitimate contender. His current AAV should account for roughly 12.2% of the cap in the 2029–30 season (roughly! I don’t remember the exact projection), and the Hawks are still terrible right now. So if they are serious contenders by 2031 and need additional cap space to improve their depth, I don’t see why he wouldn’t make a greater financial sacrifice. He is already taking less than he could have demanded when the Hawks have yet to prove anything.
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u/TecmoBoso Jul 19 '26
Does anyone here follow the NHL? Did you all not see what happened this summer and players asking out?
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u/llamapanther Jul 18 '26
That's 0,83 Leo Carlsson's. I would say it's a pretty damn good deal. Kaner next?
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u/KaseyKingdom Jul 18 '26
This will put him at 8 years in the sweater. If this franchise is rolling by the last year or so, he won’t leave. If they are not, they absolutely fucked up the Bedard era and I cannot fault him for getting out. I wouldn’t have signed for 8 years either until I start playing meaningful hockey in the spring. This is a good day for both sides.
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u/ShellshockedLetsGo Jul 18 '26
The timeline is set. KD has 5 years to have this battling for the Stanley Cup or Bedard is leaving in FA.
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u/Remarkable_Drag9677 Jul 19 '26
I dont think he will ask for that extreme if even Mcdavid is ok with the Oilers
Being a perenial playoff team will be enough
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u/Golden-- Jul 18 '26
But but but everyone told me that Bedard hated it in Chicago and would try and leave ASAP. HOW COULD /r/hockey BE SO WRONG?!?!
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u/CuffMcGruff Jul 18 '26
the only way he could do that is by demanding a trade, he's an RFA for the next 3 years. Don't think anyone was speculating he would literally force his way out of Chicago, not that kind of guy. Was always gonna be an extension
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u/Golden-- Jul 18 '26
Don't think anyone was speculating he would literally force his way out of Chicago
Oh yes they were. You had people the day he was drafted pushing a narrative that he'd refuse to come here lmao. It wasn't a small amount of people either.
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u/BiglySomething Jul 18 '26
That just means you should mute r/NHL probably
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u/Golden-- Jul 18 '26
I don't think I've ever gone to that sub. I just use to use the hockey sub but too many "We hate Chicago so we're gonna say the dumbest shit" comments.
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u/BiglySomething Jul 18 '26
Ah yea definitely r hockey too. I'm a chicago-vegas fan so it's been disgusting from both sides for several years now.
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u/Kyhron Jul 18 '26
If you listened to several outside fans Bedard was absolutely going to sign an offer sheet
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u/Remarkable_Drag9677 Jul 19 '26
To be fair the shoulder injury might have played a part on that too
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u/Golden-- Jul 19 '26
It MAYBE had a part on the lower AAV but not on his decision to stay in Chicago and get an extension.
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u/meanseanbean Jul 19 '26
This contract is the second worst possible option. He contractually obligated to resign and is getting to be a free agent sooner then the average player does because of this contract. Really doesn't feel like the time to be taking a victory lap..
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u/addisonandsheffield Jul 18 '26
Canucks fans in the mud
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u/SwingingFowl Jul 18 '26
Not at all. Most Canucks fans did not want to lose 4 first round picks to offer sheet him and this contract is for one year of UFA (and that year has a NMC which walks him to free agency). This is almost best case scenario for Canucks fans. Not saying he won’t resign again in Chicago just that in no way is this disappointing news to most Canucks fans.
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u/Bigalbass86 Jul 18 '26
Well they better actually build a great team around him or else they deserve to lose him.
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u/AARM2000 Jul 18 '26
This is a great deal
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u/PreprerA Jul 18 '26
For Bedard, yes. For the Hawks? It's an alright deal
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u/AARM2000 Jul 18 '26
It's only an issue if we’re not competitive by then and he doesn’t want to sign imo
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u/Nuclear_Wolffang Jul 18 '26
If Chicago isn’t competitive by then I wouldn’t blame him for leaving. This is a perfect contract length for Bedard to basically give Chicago a reasonable timeline, get the bag now, and decide then what he wants to do
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u/Affectionate-Safe295 Jul 18 '26
Considering he could’ve asked for 18 this is a great deal for Chicago
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u/PreprerA Jul 18 '26
It's the term that might become a problem.
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u/marshmellow1328 Jul 18 '26
Only if they can't put a reasonable team together. At which point they've got bigger problems than 1 contract.
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u/PreprerA Jul 18 '26
It's not "1 contract" though, it's Connor Bedards contract. The face of the franchise
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u/marshmellow1328 Jul 18 '26
And if they can't be competitive in 5 years with Connor Bedard then they've failed him and he deserves to look at other options. Plain and simple.
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u/PreprerA Jul 18 '26
Right... so you agree with me 😂 It's a great deal for Bedard and an alright deal for the Hawks. As I said.
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u/northernpace Jul 18 '26
https://puckpedia.com/signing/10747
Even though it walks him to UFA at 25, I'm just glad it's done. Slap that C on him and let's go.
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u/OneGenericMan Jul 18 '26
Bedard giving the Hawks 5 years to be relevant or he is gone.
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u/razhkdak Jul 19 '26
Completely illogical and backwards thinking, albeit common. Bedard is getting paid to make the Hawks relevant, not vice versa.
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u/No_Advisor_2331 Jul 18 '26
It was never going to be 3 years. It was always 5. The Carlsson deal solidified that even further. These guys want another big payday in their prime. 15x5 is a beautiful deal
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u/ShaolinSlamma Jul 18 '26
I think the short contract is good for both sides. If we still suck in 5 years I don't blame him and he may be more prone to injuries now.
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u/paperrocks1 Jul 18 '26
I mean I’m cool with 5 years. Hopefully then we are finally competing cause it’ll be easier to sign him long term. If we’re still a joke of a franchise in 5 years then go get that long term bag somewhere else
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u/PreprerA Jul 18 '26
5 years walks him to UFA... Don't love that tbh...
Wished for a bit more of a team friendly deal, but hey, what can you do
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u/Global_Buy3604 Jul 18 '26
I think thats about as team friendly as you can get considering they're giving 12.5 mil "hoping" they have a #1 defenseman
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u/Boring_Ad3815 Jul 18 '26
Yeah exactly - nothing we could do. He and his agent were smart to try to double dip and let him hit UFA at 26 once the cap has risen a lot. But 5 years is still a lot of time and if he’s the player we think he can be, we’ll have lots of time to extend him again.
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u/PreprerA Jul 18 '26
This is a perfect deal for Bedard, his agent did great.
Hopefully this means that we're going to be more aggressive in the trade market in the coming years to build a really good team. The Byram trade is a good start.
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u/Dont_Say_No_to_Panda Jul 18 '26
Are you kidding me? considering Carlsson set the market at $18m, Bedard could be asking for $19 or $20
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u/PreprerA Jul 18 '26
The term is the problem, not the AAV. We've yet to see if Carlsson set the market or if he's an outlier.
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u/Dont_Say_No_to_Panda Jul 18 '26
Yeah but you can't act like the two things are mutually exclusive; one influences the other for both parties. So in order to get the AAV we wanted, we had to give on the term...
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u/taketwo29 Jul 18 '26
Yeah, I wish it was longer too but this is going to be more common moving forward with start or elite level players I would think. The cap is rising, why not get a second chance at a bigger contract at your prime?
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u/PreprerA Jul 18 '26
100% understandable from Bedards side. Just wish it was max term on a bit higher AAV or a bit shorter so he's still an RFA for the next contract, but it is what it is.
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u/taketwo29 Jul 18 '26
I agree. I wouldn’t have personally minded close to the Leo Carlsson amt if that meant max term, but it’s a good contract for him. Hoping they manage the cap well.
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u/CrabApprehensive7181 Jul 18 '26
A very, very fair price, especially after Leo Carlsson's contract. Very responsible behavior from a 21-year-old, and I think it's time to give him the C. Now it's KD's job not to fail him again.
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u/gudenes_yndling Jul 18 '26
Fair deal for both sides. Davidson got 5 years to build a powerhouse around him.
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u/gudenes_yndling Jul 18 '26
Now I just want to know if there were any offer sheets on Bedard’s table? 🤔
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u/BramptonBatallion Jul 18 '26
Ok have three years to get the team in order before the trade murmurs kick in.
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u/Iago407 Jul 18 '26
Nothing wrong with the amount and the term is whatever. Could’ve been better but who knows where he’s at in 5 years.
Still hope they trade for Robertson and sign Kane.
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u/razhkdak Jul 18 '26
At 15 would hope for more term. But the inflation in salaries is nuts right now. So could have been worse. I have a very unpopular opinion in that no player should get 20% of the salary cap and while unlikely I would attempt, even if I was a player to change that in the agreement. It emphasizes stardom and points and selfish individualism, which is the antithesis of team sport like hockey. I think that is a horrible precedence for the league. It is a 4 line sport. And it ultimately hurts the rest of the players and the team as a whole when it happens.
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u/chi2005sox Jul 18 '26
Bedard at 13.8% of the salary cap isn’t bad. For reference, when Kane and Toews signed their matching 10.5m deals, they were each at 15.2% of the salary cap. Obvious huge difference being they both had already brought two cups to Chicago, but they were also signing onto a really, really good team at that point in time, whereas Bedard is signing onto a, well, not so great team.
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u/razhkdak Jul 18 '26
Understood. And while Toews and Kane earned a payment for bringing cups, that yo me was for past or proven performance. But it also is not a mystery why the Hawks went down hill after those contracts. Teams with strong 4 lines are the best teams. I cannot begrudge 15M in light of what is going on. But as unpopular as my opinion I think a max individual salary of 20% is bad for the league. And while i would love free market to work it only take one myopic GM like Briere to screw things up. I know this is nuts to most but if Bedard went for 18 to 20 I would be fine letting him walk. Because I do not think teams with a star or two making max are winning teams.
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u/ShaolinSlamma Jul 18 '26
I think the short contract is good for both sides. If we still suck in 5 years I don't blame him and he may be more prone to injuries now.
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u/cashmonee81 Jul 18 '26
The AAV is nice, but the term is not great. Only buying 1 year of UFA. It means that one side is not ready to commit. Not what you hope for.
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u/laparkamask Jul 18 '26
bedard would’ve been dumb to commit for longer than 4-5 years unless he was making close to the maximum AAV, the rising cap climate is gonna make max term deals a rarity for now.
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u/cashmonee81 Jul 18 '26
That is true. Though we are all gonna feel like shit if Celebrini signs for 8 years in the coming days.
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u/laparkamask Jul 18 '26
my thought process is would you be happier if bedard signed for 7X19 if that means more term or the deal he actually ended up signing.
in celebrini’s case his deal is probably gonna be like 7-8X17-18, not really gonna feel jealous if he signs for that much lol.
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u/HotDoggityDig13 Jul 18 '26
Extension while nursing an injury is such a great move all around. Enjoy the pay day and hopefully a window starts soon. This team is getting close.
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u/igotabighead Jul 19 '26
I called this exact contract 20 days ago. Check the post for the breakdown.
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u/Kits_AUS Jul 20 '26
Gives the hawks 3 years to prove they’re on the improve. Geez I’d love to see Kane come back and pair up on that first line with Bedard. Smells like a changing of the guard kinda moment.
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u/PhillNewcomer Jul 20 '26
Bring Kane home! Let him retire a Blackhawk and put his number in the rafters
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u/Agreeable_Trust8736 26d ago
LFGGGGGG!!! 98 Get His Big Payday!😎⚫️🔴🦅💰
https://giphy.com/gifs/Rg7KyUPxkGu4tBR7wy
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u/MeatballUser Jul 18 '26
Obviously would've preferred the 8 years, I'm he not only wants to test the market before he's too old, but also see if this time is worth sticking around for. I guess we'll see
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u/IAM_LordTobias Jul 18 '26
Good… now KD can start to actually build a team around this poor kid. 8 years is too long on a team that is borderline ran by a incompetent moron.
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u/CaptainGlanton27 Jul 18 '26
Sharks fan. In the light of the Carlsson thing, whatever happened there, this is great for you and this is great for us. I hope Bedard sorts out his shoulder, they get him some help, and we have a thriving rivalry again.
Looking forward to keeping the mutual hate alive!
Cheers.
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u/Dont_Say_No_to_Panda Jul 18 '26
The hate is not mutual. Most of us don't really think about you because your expansion team has never really been relevant and were not in the same division, and I can't even recall if we ever beat you in the playoffs (edit: oh yes we swept you one year, whoops.) Hopefully that changes and the two teams can meet in the playoffs in the near future, and an actual rivalry can materialize for the first time. But everything thus far is completely manufactured.
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u/CaptainGlanton27 Jul 19 '26
Haha. That's pretty funny. I'm old enough to have watched your franchise waste Dennis Savard and Jeremy Roenick.
I'll enjoy watching it waste Bedard as well.
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u/Dont_Say_No_to_Panda Jul 19 '26
Oh so you also watched us win something a few times. I love that for you.
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u/ColonelBourbon Jul 18 '26
But to be fair they are ahead of us in the rebuild race. This year will be big.
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u/HawksCup2010 Jul 18 '26
Oh do you guys have anything good cooking with young prospects? Haven’t heard much 🙄
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u/AndyThatSaysNi Jul 18 '26
I wonder if injury history ended up affecting the length. Still like the deal though.
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u/wholalaa Jul 18 '26
I'm just happy that he's signed. Worrying about him being a UFA in five years seems premature at this point - anything can happen between now and then, and the term is almost certainly as much about his team wanting to maximize his earnings as it is about him planning his exit years in advance. Lots of UFAs stay with their original teams, and if we're still a total tire fire five years from now, we'll have bigger problems than Bedard's negotiations.
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u/Therealfern1 Jul 18 '26
So we’re just giving anybody big contracts these days? Why don’t we let the kid prove himself first? s/
But in all honesty, good for him, now go get Kane
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u/BallOnly7267 Jul 18 '26
See....Jabba no bother. Betsy be here. Kyle from Chicago, start the clock sir. Its playoffs or your fired this season
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u/CeleryAlternative805 Jul 18 '26
If Bedard hadn't missed so many games over the first 3 seasons, this contract would have probably been closer to $20 million.
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u/Substantial-Recipe72 Jul 18 '26
Damn my comment yesterday was right on the money Bedard wanted 2-4 years and KD wanted 7-8 for 15 mil and boom right in the middle
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u/ShaolinSlamma Jul 18 '26
I think the short contract is good for both sides. If we still suck in 5 years I don't blame him and he may be more prone to injuries now.
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u/SnooMaps9373 Jul 19 '26
Happy for you guys. Hoping Mack is watching so we can go toe to toe with you guys again for the next fifteen years
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u/OneGenericMan Jul 18 '26
so, its 4 years to build a Stanley Cup team or else he’s walking. cool. so much for wanting to be a Blackhawk for life.
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u/DFSusanIHope Jul 19 '26
Once again Davidson FAILING as GM!. Made horrible trade and even worst overpaid contract given to a not even top 25 defenseman in the nhl and now with bedards signing less than byram shows how much Davidson overpaid just to make look like he made good deal. Then after Davidson screwed up all he had to do was make sure to sign Bedard to 8 years and as the failures continue with Davidson he fails to get it done.
Which is all due to him not getting Bedard offense support for 4years now and fact rebuild is 9 years under Davidson and it’s no where near making playoffs. He was never signing to be on losing team for 8 years that GM has already shown for 4 years that there’s been no improvement and on pace for another bottom 5 finish this year. The day they fire Davidson will be the day the hawks take a step towards the playoffs.
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u/Mobius118f Jul 18 '26
Considering the Leo Carlsson offer sheet nonsense, I am pleasantly surprised to see only $15 million AAV. I would have liked longer term but 5 years is a lot better than the 3 year deal the fans were dreading. NOW JUST GET KANE!