Blackhawks need to stop wasting Connor Bedard’s prime years before they start

The main goal for the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason was about surrounding Connor Bedard with enough talent to take the next step. After an average sophomore campaign, the hope was the Hawks would add some new pieces to make the roster better.

This would allow Bedard to play for a more compeitive team, re-igniting the fire in him and allowing him to take the next step everyone was expecting him to take this past season.

However, outside of the NHL draft, the Blackhawks were not as busy as fans had hoped. The only impact player they brought in was Andre Burakovsky, acquiring him from the Seattle Kraken for Joe Veleno.

Outside of that, their moves were nothing more than securing the depth. They didn't even sign a single free agent. This offseason seems like a big missed opportunity for the Blackhawks, as they're wasting their best chance to build a competitive team around Bedard.

Why these next few seasons are the best time for the Blackhawks to go "all-in"

When the Blackhawks won the draft lottery back in 2023, it seemed like their rebuild had gotten a massive boost. Bedard was seen as the best prospect since Connor McDavid. He was going to be the next superstar in the NHL and usher in a new era of Blackhawks dominance. All that everyone talked about was how this was going to be just like when Chicago took Patrick Kane back in 2007.

The hope was that Bedard would be a top-six center from his rookie season, and with his value far exceeding his paycheck. This would allow the Blackhawks to put money into other areas and build a competitive roster, while Bedard was still on his entry-level deal—a luxury every team would kill to have.

However, after two years, this "golden ticket" back to relevance hasn't worked out the way fans had hoped. They're no closer to the playoffs than they were when they picked Bedard. Unless Burakovsky can return to his 2021-22 form, and the prospects make a significant impact, it's going to be another loss season for Chicago—yet another season of Bedard's cheap contract year wasted.

Even if the Blackhawks can make it back to the playoffs, how deep can they go? They will most likely be a first-round exit.

It's just a completely wasted opportunity by the Blackhawks, especially considering that Bedard is due for a new contract at the end of the year. If he has a strong season, his contract will likely be north of ten million annually. Even with the cap space, that type of deal is going to hinder their ability to field a competitive team. They're not going to be able to be as aggressive in free agency as they had to.

If the Blackhawks struggle again, it could also hamper Bedard's development. It's hard to be motivated and give it your best effort week in and week out when your team is constantly losing. Now, Bedard is not going to become a bad player, but he might not reach the ceiling he had coming out of the draft.

If the Blackhawks want to salvage what's left of this opportunity, then they have to be aggressive with their midseason acquisition. They need to use the $17 million they have and surround Bedard with as much talent as possible—something they should've done on July 1st.

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