Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard agrees to a $75 million, five-year contract

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard has agreed to a $75 million, five-year contract, completeing a major offseason goal for the team.

The rebuilding Blackhawks announced the deal on Saturday. Bedard, who turned 21 on Friday, had been a restricted free agent.

“Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a release. “He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice. Connor’s strong work ethic and determination to always improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core.”

The deal was finalized 10 days after Bedard had surgery on his left shoulder. The center is expected to miss the start of the season after he got hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in western Canada.

Chicago went 29-39-14 this year, an 11-point improvement on the previous season and still nowhere near playoff contention. The team has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the last three years.

The Blackhawks haven’t made a postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They acquired defenseman Bowen Byram in a trade with Buffalo on June 23, and they also signed forward prospect Roman Kantserov in May.

Bedard has been the centerpiece of the team since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He made his anticipated NHL debut that October and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year.

He had 23 goals and 44 assists while appearing in all 82 games in his second season. He continued his steady improvement this year, setting career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.

“He’s so important to our team,” Davidson said in April. “He took such a big step forward this year in every facet.”

Bedard missed nearly six weeks of his rookie season with a broken jaw, and the center was sidelined for 12 games this year after he injured his right shoulder.

With the contract done, the next big moment for Bedard could be taking over as the 36th captain in franchise history. He became an alternate captain after the team traded away its entire leadership group in March.

His teammates think he’s ready for the challenge.

“I think that he has every leadership quality like I was just talking about to be a captain in this league,” forward Oliver Moore said in April. “He brings it every day.”

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Jay Cohen, The Associated Press