Connor Bedard confronts rumours that he wanted to leave Chicago head-on after signing $75 million extension

Bedard, the first overall pick in 2023, has been the face of the Chicago Blackhawks since the day he was drafted. While the team has struggled to break out of their rebuild, he showed how committed he is to the Windy City with his $75 million extension, signed on July 18th.

With 203 points through his first 219 games, Bedard is clearly an offensive superstar, and will be armed with his most dynamic defenseman (Bowen Byram), and forward (Patrick Kane), since making his NHL Debut. His $15 million annual average value is a huge number; third in the NHL behind the aforementioned Carlsson, and Kirill Kaprizov, but, he likely could have gotten more had he listened to offer sheets.

However, Bedard confirmed yesterday, that he never even considered going that route:

We can be honest here. The Chicago Blackhawks are still far from contention. Choosing to go for defensemen with their draft picks over the past few years; Kevin Korchinski in 2022, Artyom Levshunov in 2024, and the fourth overall pick for Bowen Byram last month, has limited their offensive firepower around Bedard.

Prospect Anton Frondell looks very promising, and Frank Nazar's long-term contract is sure to age very well. Spencer Knight is well-positioned to be their goalie of the future, and the present. Still, a team has 12 forwards and six defensemen on the ice every night.

It will be interesting to see how the Blackhawks manage to do what the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens have done in recent years. A lot more talent needs to come in, but having a player that's truly proud to be a Blackhawk signals a bright future.

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