Connor Bedard’s new deal in Chicago is another sign that the NHL salary market keeps climbing, and fast. Bedard landed the same five-year term Leo Carlsson got in his offer sheet, but his money comes in a shade lower. Even so, the Blackhawks star is now sitting third among NHL salaries, trailing only Carlsson and Kirill Kaprizov at $15 million.
That kind of number doesn’t just matter for Chicago. Every big contract like this keeps nudging the market upward, and it naturally raises the question of where the next elite names land.
Cale Makar is the obvious one to watch. With these higher-priced deals stacking up, it’s fair to keep asking what his number eventually looks like.
Is there any world where Makar isn’t making more than $17 or even $18 million at this point?
Elsewhere, Chris MacFarland is still leaning into familiar ties. The Avalanche general manager has a reputation for valuing people he knows, and he added another one on Friday. It’s the third time he’s made a move connected to the Avs in some way.
Out in San Jose, the Sharks have gone to work on their blue line and changed the look of it. The only real question now is whether the makeover actually improves the group.
And in New Jersey, Anthony Mantha’s fit with the Devils is getting another look after what Penguins insiders think of the signing. Mantha scored 33 goals with the Pens last year, but his postseason performance left something to be desired.
In Other News...
Former Avalanche Goalie Is Becoming Colorados Biggest What If
Justus Annunens departure from Colorado looked like a routine goalie shuffle when the Avalanche sent him to Nashville during the 2024-25 season, but the story has taken on a different shape since then. After a rough start with the Predators, the former Avalanche netminder found his footing and put together the kind of season that reminded people why he was once viewed as a promising piece in Denvers pipeline, then carried that momentum onto the international stage as Finlands starter at the 2026 IIHF Mens World Championship.
For Avalanche fans, that makes Annunen a particularly interesting what-if. His rise in Nashville included career-best production and a shutout, the sort of rebound that invites second-guessing about timing, fit and patience. And with his game settling in as the calendar turned, there is at least one stretch that seems to have marked the real turning point, the moment when a former Colorado backup stopped looking like a project and started looking like a goaltender who had finally arrived. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fans Should Be Watching Egor Shilov Very Closely
The Avalanche added another intriguing name to their pipeline when they took Egor Shilov 43rd overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, using a pick acquired in the Valeri Nichushkin trade. Shilov brings the kind of offensive skill Colorado tends to value, with creativity and patience that make him a natural fit for a team always looking for more playmaking depth on the wing.
What makes him worth tracking closely is the balance between upside and refinement. Scouts are comfortable with the talent, but his consistency, defensive play and work away from the puck are still part of the conversation, which is why his path is expected to run through another season with the Victoriaville Tigres before he moves on to Penn State and, eventually, the NHL. If that development goes right, Colorado may have found more than just a useful prospect. [Read more 🡒]