As of July 1st, Blackhawks center Connor Bedard became eligible to sign a contract extension like every other player entering the final year of their respective contracts. One of the questions heading into the start of the summer was if he’d be among the players to quickly sign an early extension. With September a little more than a week away, it’s safe to say the answer to that question was no.
It’s quite possible that the answer will continue to be no as well. In his latest appearance for Bleacher Report (video link), Frank Seravalli noted that both Bedard and the Blackhawks feel any urgency to get something done now and they appear to be quite content with letting next season play out and then working on a contract at that point.
The 20-year-old was the first overall pick two years ago, a consensus choice after he simply lit up the WHL where he had 134 goals and 137 assists in 134 games over parts of three major junior seasons with Regina. The hope was that he could come in and be the next great NHL superstar.
Bedard’s progression doesn’t have him at that level just yet. After putting up an impressive 22 goals and 39 assists in 67 games in his rookie season, his point-per-game rate actually dropped last year when he had 23 goals and 44 helpers in 82 appearances. Both point totals were enough to lead the Blackhawks in scoring but at the same time, it would be fair to suggest that he underachieved relative to expectations last season.
Having yet to reach the 70-point mark and given the comparable contracts for top young centers in recent years, a rough projection for a long-term deal for Bedard would be around the $8.5MM range based on his performance so far. It wouldn’t be shocking if GM Kyle Davidson was amenable to something around that price point but for Bedard, it probably wouldn’t make as much sense. On the flip side, a long-term price tag that Bedard’s camp might want could be too rich for the team to sign at this point.
With that in mind, it makes a lot of sense for both sides to wait this out. Given the expectations the team has for Bedard, even a down year this season isn’t going to take him out of their long-term plans so there isn’t much risk in waiting. And if things don’t go as planned which would make a long-term agreement a little murkier, the simple solution at that point would be a bridge deal, allowing both sides more time to evaluate the situation.
Since Davidson took over as GM, he has handed out long-term contracts to a pair of young core players. Defenseman Alex Vlasic inked a six-year deal last year while forward Frank Nazar inked a seven-year agreement earlier this week so there is definitely a willingness from the team to lock up their key players quickly. It’s expected that Bedard will eventually follow suit but now, that might not be coming until next offseason, not this one.