Overview
- The Blackhawks announced the five-year, $75 million deal on Saturday, July 18, 2026, which keeps Bedard under contract through the 2030-31 season.
- The contract carries a $15 million average annual value that ranks Bedard among the NHL’s top-paid players by AAV for 2026-27.
- Bedard had left-shoulder surgery on July 8 and is expected to miss the start of the 2026-27 season, with a projected return in November that will cost him roughly the first 15 to 20 games.
- Public breakdowns report a year-by-year salary pattern and a full no-move clause in the final year, meaning the deal is a shorter bridge that preserves Bedard’s leverage ahead of unrestricted free agency.
- Chicago framed the extension as a move to lock in its franchise center and said it will continue assembling support around him, including the Bowen Byram acquisition and available cap space for further upgrades.