Blackhawks answer Connor Bedard questions with five-year, $75 million extension

The Blackhawks are keeping Connor Bedard for the long haul. Bedard and the Blackhawks agreed to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $15 million, the team announced Saturday. The deal, signed one day after Bedard turned 21, becomes the third-largest contract in NHL history in terms of average annual value — behind Ducks center Leo Carlsson ($18 million) and Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million). Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard plays during an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Slocum It also keeps Bedard, who was a restricted free agent and could’ve received offer sheets from other teams, in Chicago through the 2030-31 season. “Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly establish