Morning Chirps: Bedard contract reaction, Wright has a preferred destination

Chicago Blackhawks fans got the news they had been waiting for all summer on Saturday. We’ve got plenty of reaction to the weekend’s biggest story, plus a whole lot more.

Blackhawks Chirps

Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract extension on Saturday. The deal takes him into unrestricted free agency, but gives general manager Kyle Davidson plenty of time to finish building a winner around him. PuckPedia has the full details of the new contract, including the $9.8 million signing bonus per season and a full no-movement clause in the final year.

• Justin Lynch wrote that Bedard’s new deal is good for both him and the Blackhawks.

• I had some immediate reaction to the extension with my pals on the CHGO Blackhawks Podcast.

• Mark Lazerus of The Athletic spoke to Bedard’s agent, Don Meehan, and got us an inside look at the negotiations between his client and the Blackhawks.

• Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times had these interesting numbers about Bedard and Patrick Kane. Will these two be teammates in the near future?

• On Saturday, the Blackhawks, Chicago Blackhawks Foundation and Community Goods hosted the 5th Annual “Right Back at Ya” Back-to-School event at Blackhawks Ice Center. The event provided more than 500 West Side students and families with backpacks, school supplies, apparel, and other essential resources to help them start the school year prepared for success.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, July 19: Dick Irvin, Bob Carse, Craig Muni, and Drew Commesso.

NHL Chirps

• Shane Wright is expected to be traded before the season starts. He’s someone who would make sense for the Blackhawks, but he appears to have his preferred destination. Ben Kuzma reported that he would prefer a trade to the Vancouver Canucks, and there is mutual interest. Wright would definitely get a chance to play up in the lineup, but the chance to win for the next few years is not there, as the Canucks are in the early stages of their rebuild.

• According to Vincent Mercogliano, the New York Rangers’ busy offseason is not over, as they would like to add another forward before the season starts. They’ve brought in six newcomers this summer, including Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Joe Valeno. But with Vincent Trocheck, Adam Edstrom, Connor Sheary, and Jonny Brodzinski departing, general manager Chris Drury would like one more player up front. Patrick Laine, David Perron, Reilly Smith, and Adam Henrique are possibilities.

• The 2027 NHL All-Star Game will feature a new international format, with Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States, and the World team, each squad playing four five-minute games in round-robin play. Here are some early projections of what Sweden’s roster could look like:

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, July 19: Craig Cameron, Steve Shields, Scott Walker, Jean-Sébastien Aubin, David Tanabe, Fedor Tyutin, Ryan O’Bryne, Devin Shore, and Zach Werenski.

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