Connor Bedard keeps giving the Blackhawks reasons to believe they’ve got the right guy at the center of everything.
Chicago invested heavily when it took him with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and the organization is still sorting through a few big questions around its star forward. Bedard hurt his shoulder during a summer practice, and the team has not offered an update on his status. He is also a restricted free agent with no contract going into 2026-27, and there’s no telling whether the injury changes anything or whether there will be news before training camp opens in September.
There’s even been a rumor floating around that the Philadelphia Flyers sent Bedard an offer sheet before Leo Carlsson signed his five-year, $18 million-per offer sheet, though that has not been confirmed and remains just that - a rumor.
What is clear is that Bedard’s actions keep pointing in one direction: commitment to the Blackhawks.
That came up again on Tuesday when new Chicago forward Cole Smith met with local media for the first time. Smith said Bedard reached out right away.
"(Bedard) sent me a text, which is pretty cool from a young guy," Smith said of his new teammate. "(I'm) looking forward to meeting him, seeing what makes him tick."
For a 20-year-old with no contract in hand, that kind of gesture matters. Bedard didn’t have to do it, but he did anyway, and it fits the larger picture the Blackhawks have seen from him.
He has already worn an "A" full-time after the trade deadline, and his behavior keeps making the case that he belongs in a leadership role. A "C" could follow once everything is finalized.
On the ice, Bedard backed up the growing reputation with another strong season. In 2025-26, he put up 30 goals and 45 assists for 75 points in 69 games.
He also looked quicker and stronger for much of the year, even if the shoulder issue slowed him down a bit in the middle of the season. The trajectory is obvious: he’s becoming one of the league’s elite centers.
His offseason habits tell a similar story. Bedard has passed on the World Championships with Canada twice now so he could focus on preparing for the next NHL season. This time, the shoulder injury popped up again while he was trying to get better, which only reinforces the point - he’s chasing elite status, and he’s putting in the work to get there.
That kind of example carries weight in a locker room. When the best player is grinding the right way, everybody else notices. And right now, Bedard’s combination of talent, preparation and simple gestures like texting a new teammate is making one thing pretty obvious: he’s acting like a player who wants to lead the Blackhawks for a long time.
In Other News...
New Blackhawks Addition Just Weighed In On Chicago's Rebuild
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For a team still trying to turn the corner in its rebuild, that kind of buy-in matters as much as any depth addition. Smith also said he is looking forward to meeting Connor Bedard, and his optimism about the groups direction fits the broader feeling around Chicago that the next step is no longer just about patience, but about finally starting to win again. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Grzelcyk Put Blackhawks Fans In A Familiar Blue Line Debate
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The numbers were modest, with 12 assists, no goals and a minus-6 rating, and now the bigger question is what comes next. Grzelcyk is set to hit free agency, and while he should draw interest elsewhere, Chicago appears unlikely to bring him back, leaving another familiar opening on the back end for the Blackhawks to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Davidson's Quiet Summer Just Put Blackhawks Fans On Edge
Kyle Davidsons summer roster work was never going to be about headlines, and in that sense the Blackhawks stayed true to form. Chicago added six players in free agency and through trade, with the bulk of the activity aimed at shoring up the blue line and stocking the organization with more defensive depth for both the NHL club and the Rockford IceHogs. Ian Cole, Dylan Anhorn, Connor Mackey, Cole Smith and Connor Mylymok all fit that theme, giving the Blackhawks a deeper pool of options as they try to keep building out the back end.
The move that really changes the temperature, though, is the arrival of Bowen Byram, who came over in a trade and immediately became the most meaningful addition of the group. Even with that kind of upgrade, the broader reaction around the team is easy to understand: Chicago did real work, but it still feels like the sort of summer that leaves fans wondering whether the front office had bigger swings in mind and simply found the market too expensive, too thin or too hard to sell. [Read more 🡒]