The New Jersey Devils just made the first move in the offer-sheet game, and that’s the kind of development that has to make Chicago Blackhawks fans sit up a little straighter.
The move itself wasn’t aimed at Connor Bedard. The Devils went after Utah Mammoth forward Barret Hayton, who signed a one-year, $4.78 million deal. Utah now has seven days to match or let him go for compensation, which would be a second-round pick.
On its own, that’s a manageable number. It’s also the kind of transaction that reminds everyone how quickly an offer sheet can turn into a real headache.
That’s where Bedard enters the picture. Since the Blackhawks did not lock him up before July 1, the possibility has been floating around that another team could try to pry him away with an offer sheet of its own.
If anyone ever had the nerve to do it, it wouldn’t be at the Hayton level. It would have to be much bigger.
The compensation chart tops out at four first-round picks for a contract of $11.939 million or more. Bedard is not going to land there, but the point stands: any team serious enough to try this would need to come in well above the lower ranges. Otherwise, Kyle Davidson would match it before the ink dried.
And that’s why the whole idea is so uncomfortable for Chicago. If the Blackhawks were ever put in a position where they had to decide whether to let Bedard walk for four first-round picks, that would send a brutal message to the fanbase. It would also almost certainly drag the rebuild backward.
There is, of course, another side to this.
Maybe the Blackhawks know something the rest of us don’t. Maybe there’s some concern about Bedard’s long-term performance.
Maybe the organization isn’t sold on a multi-year payday at the price his camp wants. Maybe Chicago doesn’t believe he’s going to become the superstar they expected.
Those are all big maybe’s, and there’s no hard evidence behind them. Still, the fact that Bedard remains unsigned does leave room for unease.
What is clear is that the two sides want different things. Bedard’s camp wants to get paid.
Chicago wants long-term security for the organization. That gap has to close somehow.
Until it does, the possibility remains that someone could try a stunning move and go after one of the game’s most promising young forwards.
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The Blackhawks did extend a qualifying offer, so the door remains open for Del Mastro to come back and try to carve out a larger role. Thats really the crux of it for a rebuilding team: he may get another season to show he can take a step, but if the progress does not come, Chicago will have a difficult decision to make on where he fits in the organizations plans. [Read more 🡒]