Connor Bedard is ready for the Blackhawks captaincy

The Chicago Blackhawks have a captaincy void to fill heading into the 2026-2027 season after former captain Nick Foligno was traded to the Minnesota Wild during this past year's NHL trade deadline. The obvious choice for this position for the majority of the offseason was Connor Bedard. After all, Bedard is the franchise player that this team has been building around throughout the Kyle Davidson rebuild.

However, a welcome twist to this story presented itself later in the summer as Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane decided to return to Chicago. This development opened a debate that Kane could be in play to receive the team's captaincy. Despite the Kane signing, Bedard still makes the most sense to lead this Blackhawks squad forward. He has shown that he is ready for the responsibility that comes with captaining such a storied Original Six franchise. This is a role that Kane can help Bedard fill as the two will be counted on to drive this group into that playoff conversation.

Connor Bedard is captain material

Bedard has shown tremendous growth through his first three seasons in the big leagues. If he was not ready to captain this team previously, he is now. He will be entering his fourth season in the NHL at 21 years of age. That may be young, but he is an effective veteran on a Blackhawks team full of youth and inexperience.

He will be getting paid the big bucks now as he leaves his entry-level days behind him with a new contract in hand. His $15 million salary will be the third-highest in the league this upcoming campaign. That number on the books should bring increased expectations, as Bedard needs to be the standard-bearer for his teammates to follow.

The way Bedard handled his contract talks should provide all the needed proof that Bedard has the mindset you want to see in a leader. Unlike Leo Carlsson, Bedard refused to entertain any discussions of offer sheets in the midst of negotiations. He bluntly stated: "No amount of money was worth the risk of not being a Blackhawk."

If that statement does not show Bedard's loyalty and commitment to the Blackhawks, it is unclear what does. He has proven that he has bought into this organization's vision. He will have to be the guy who plays the biggest factor in getting this team back into that competitive playoff window. After all, few players have the talent in their arsenal that Bedard has.

That said, Bedard does not rely on his skill alone; he always puts in the work. He is more often than not among the first guys on the ice for practice and one of the last to leave. You never see him skip an optional morning skate. He is always the last guy off the ice for pregame warmups. Even in the offseason, Bedard trains hard. Perhaps too hard; this latest summer injury will have him sidelined to begin the oncoming season.

Like legendary former Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, Bedard is not the loudest or most outgoing of personalities. But he leads by example in the effort he puts forth on the ice every day. The best players have that special "it" factor that most do not possess. It is that mentality that propels them to push harder than the average athlete can when it comes to accomplishing success. Bedard is of that same mold.

The added pressure of wearing the "C" should not be too much for Bedard to carry at this stage of his career. And playing to his favor, he will not be alone when it comes to leading this team. He will have Kane by his side to help mentor him and shoulder that load. What better player could there be to aid Bedard than Showtime himself?

This is a new era of Blackhawks hockey. The goal has shifted away from stacking up draft picks and towards getting back to winning hockey in Chicago. The time is now to truly make it Bedard's team to lead. The entire past leadership group is gone; it is time to pass the captaincy torch to Bedard.

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