Connor Bedard is heading into the 2026-27 season with one of those clean, easy-to-track milestones sitting right in front of him: 100 career goals.
He’s already at 75, which leaves him 25 short of the mark. Given what he’s done through his first three NHL seasons, that number feels well within reach once he’s back on the ice. The only catch is that Bedard is expected to miss the start of the season after offseason shoulder surgery, with a return projected for early November.
That delay doesn’t change the bigger picture much. Bedard’s production has already climbed into real star territory, even with a few interruptions.
As a rookie in 2023-24, he scored 22 goals while missing 14 games with a broken jaw. The next year brought 23 goals in all 82 games, a season in which he was clearly building out his all-around game and doing it with limited help around him.
Last season was his best yet. Bedard finished with a career-high 30 goals and 75 points despite missing 13 games because of a shoulder injury.
He also found some useful chemistry with rookie Ryan Greene, while Andre Burakovsky spent the first part of the year as his other most frequent linemate before a rough second half eventually sent him to the Ottawa Senators. Even with that instability, Bedard still put together a strong year.
One detail from that season stands out: only seven of his 30 goals came on the power play. With the pieces now around him, that number could rise.
Chicago has tried to give its franchise centerpiece more support. The Blackhawks added Bowen Byram, Patrick Kane and Roman Kantserov, and there’s plenty of buzz around the group.
Kantserov signed his entry-level contract in May of 2026 after leading the KHL in goals last season, while Kane’s return brings a three-time Stanley Cup winner back to Chicago at age 37. Anton Frondell also flashed real promise in a 12-game look at the end of last season, and Byram should bring an offensive boost from the blue line.
Those additions give Chicago a very different look up front, especially with Bedard, Frank Nazar and Nick Lardis in the mix. They should also help a power play that finished 29th in the league last season at 16.9%.
So yes, 100 career goals looks like a milestone Bedard should clear without much trouble once he’s healthy. The more interesting question may be how far past that he can go. A 35-goal season is in play, and so is the possibility of 100 points after he posted 75 last year.
Bedard has always come off as a team-first player, and he’d be the first to say the wins matter more than the totals. Still, 100 career goals is sitting there now, and it would be no surprise if he checks that box this season.
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For now, the rest of the league is sorting out its own business, from contract talk in Minnesota to injury uncertainty in Florida, while Chicago keeps looking ahead to a season that will again be judged through Bedards lens. Even the long view is starting to come into focus, with single-game tickets for 2026-27 already on sale, a reminder that the Blackhawks are still selling the future as much as the present while fans wait for the reset everyone expected. [Read more 🡒]