The Chicago Blackhawks checked another item off their offseason to-do list on Saturday, as the team announced that Connor Bedard has agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract. The deal keeps Bedard with the Blackhawks until 2031.
While the contact carries a cap hit of $15 million dollars per year, the details of the contract are as follows:
The #Blackhawks signed 21 y/o F Connor Bedard to a 5 year $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
Bedard signs his contract after 203 points in his first 219 games. The only other player to do that in Chicago was Patrick Kane. Kane also signed a five-year contract after his entry-level deal expired.
Analysis
The Blackhawks signing Bedard to a contract extension was a no-brainer, but the devil was in the details. While Bedard’s camp could have looked at the Leo Carlsson contract as a template for his extension. The Bedard camp went with a more cap-friendly deal.
He gets good money up front and leaves the Hawks cap flexability for now and in the future. The Hawks still have plenty of cap space this offseason to add another forward to the mix.
In addition for this being a good deal for the Blackhawks, it is also a great deal for Bedard. Bedard can control his own destiny in the last year of his deal with a full no-movement clause. He also sets himself for an even bigger payday in 2031. With the salary cap expected to rise and salaries continuing to climb, Bedard will be in store for a massive contract in 2031.
The Blackhawks now have Bowem Byram, Frank Nazar and Bedard signed through 2031.
With Bedard now in the fold, the Blackhawks have $14,310,842 left in cap for 2026-27.