The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Saturday afternoon that they had agreed to a new five-year contract worth $75 million with the number one overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, Connor Bedard. Bedard’s new contract carries an annual average value of $15 million.
BREAKING: #Blackhawks sign Connor Bedard to a 5-year contract extension at a cap hit of $15 million.
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) July 18, 2026
Bedard is following in the footsteps of Sidney Crosby when it comes to the number superstition. We know Crosby has an $8.7 million AAV because of his number 87. Well, Bedard, who wears jersey number 98, will get a $9.8 million signing bonus in every year of the deal.
The #Blackhawks signed 21 y/o F Connor Bedard to a 5 year $15M cap hit contract
Yr 1: $7.2M Salary, $9.8M Signing Bonus
Yr 2: $6.2M/$9.8M
Yr 3: $5.2M/$9.8M
Yr 4: $4.2M/$9.8M
Yr 5: $3.2M/$9.8MFull NMC in Yr 5, deal covers 1 UFA season
Rep’d by Greg Landry @TheHockeyAgency…
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 18, 2026
Entering the 2026 offseason, many wondered which of Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli would sign their extension first, with others to follow. All three players were waiting for the other to set the market as they discussed their plans after the season.
NHL News: Connor Bedard, Barrett Hayton, Libor Hajek, and Reilly Walsh
Leo Carlsson set the market once the Anaheim Ducks matched the five-year, $18 million-a-season offer sheet presented by the Philadelphia Flyers. Most figured Bedard would come in at that figure or maybe more. Most figured Bedard would get $16-$17 million per season from the Blackhawks, as mentioned during an appearance on Friday on the SiriusXM NHL Network Radio Power Play segment.
In addition, if the Blackhawks weren’t going to pay him that kind of money, another team would. However, signing an offer sheet never crossed Bedard’s mind. He believed in what was being built in Chicago.
“Connor made it clear even after the (Carlsson) offer sheet — and before the offer sheet — that he had no intention of signing an offer sheet, that he was happy in Chicago, believed in the organization, believed in his teammates, and was quite content and happy to stay exactly where he was in Chicago,” Bedard’s agent Don Meehan said.
Entering the 206-27 season, Connor Bedard will be the third-highest-paid player in the NHL at $15 million a season. Carlsson set the bar with an $18 million AAV, followed by Kirill Kaprizov with an AAV of $17 million. Like with quarterbacks in the NFL, there will always be another player looking to be the highest-paid player in terms of AAV in the NHL.
Macklin Celebrini Extension Eligible, and Connor Bedard Will Get A Big New Deal
As far as the term goes, Bedard is following in the footsteps of Auston Matthews, who signed a five-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, coming out of his entry-level deal. Following that, Matthews signed a four-year deal that currently has two years left.
The Auston Matthews trend of taking the mid range deal and maximizing your value on multiple deals with a rising cap is in a full effect #blackhawks
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) July 18, 2026
Young players are starting to take notice of the rising salary cap; thus, they are taking these mid-range deals to maximize their value on the open market multiple times. The Auston Matthews trend has followed and come to the NHL.
In addition, like Matthews, Bedard’s first contract out of entry level takes up about 14.4 percent of the salary cap. Matthews took up 14.3 percent of the cap.
Connor Bedard’s second NHL contract:
• 5 years x $15 million cap hit = $75 million total
• Cap %: 14.4Auston Matthews’ second NHL contract:
• 5 years x $11.634 million cap hit = $58.195 million million total
• Cap %: 14.3Cap percentage is nearly identical. #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) July 19, 2026
Patrick Kane Deciding Between the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres
The Chicago Blackhawks are still a work in progress with Bedard, Frank Nazar, Spencer, and Bowen Byram. Remember, GM Kyle Davidson sent the fourth overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Byram and then signed him to a six-year deal with an AAV of $12.5 million.
?Night Cap Recap ?
Connor Bedard Signs Extension in Chicago
Good Value Deal #blackhawks pic.twitter.com/g3ueDQ68gy
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) July 18, 2026
All eyes are on Adam Fantilli and the Columbus Blue Jackets to see where he comes in at and the length of the deal.
Not to mention, it is time for the Chicago Blackhawks to take strides. Can they do it with Connor Bedard sidelined with a shoulder injury for abou six weeks to start the season?
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