How much will Connor Bedard and other pending Blackhawks free agents make on their next contracts?

If it wasn’t already clear how important Connor Bedard is to the current (and future) success of the Chicago Blackhawks, the team’s 1-6-1 record since his injury should reveal just how desperately GM Kyle Davidson needs to re-sign his 20-year-old superstar. 

There is no need to worry, though, Blackhawks fans. Bedard has already expressed his desire to extend long-term in Chicago, and Davidson will put pen to paper with him sometime in the next nine months. The question becomes: how much, and for how long, will Bedard sign?

Let’s take a look at how much Bedard and the other pending free agents on the Blackhawks will command on their upcoming contracts. 

Connor Bedard

If the Blackhawks extend Bedard before the new Collective Bargaining agreement kicks in on September 15, 2026, he will be eligible to sign for a maximum of eight years. Davidson will certainly be pushing to sign Bedard before that deadline, and he will likely make the 2023 first-overall pick one of the richest players in the NHL.

It is not out of the realm of possibility that Bedard seeks to match Kirill Kaprizov’s $17 million average annual salary, the largest in league history. Before his injury, Bedard was on pace for 50 goals and 116 points across a full 82-game season, which would have tied him with Nathan MacKinnon for second-best in the NHL last season. Simply put, Bedard has been a top-five player in the world thus far when healthy. 

But, keeping with the team-first culture Davidson is building and the extensions that core pieces Frank Nazar, Spencer Knight, and Alex Vlasic have already inked, I believe Bedard will take less than his maximum value in order to build a sustainable contender. I can see Bedard and Davidson coming to terms on an eight-year extension with an AAV between $13-15 million. This will put Bedard firmly in the top five earners next season while freeing up some extra money for Davidson in the future. 

Nick Foligno 

At 38, there’s no guarantee that Foligno won't retire after this season. He has had an impressive career, including captaining two franchises, playing over 1,000 games, and tallying over 600 points. There isn’t much left for Foligno to accomplish in the sport, but if he does decide to come back, he won’t command much money.

Foligno likely does not want to uproot his family again, and I’m sure the Blackhawks would be happy to retain their captain, even if he probably won’t be an everyday player by this time next season. A one-year deal with a $1-1.5 million AAV should be enough to keep him in the Windy City. 

Jason Dickinson

Dickinson has battled injuries this season and has managed just 11 goals over the past year and a half after breaking out for 22 in 2023-2024. That being said, the 30-year-old is still a veteran leader for this Blackhawks squad and plays a thankless role, matching up with the opposition’s top line every night. 

If the Blackhawks are willing to absorb some of his $4.25 million cap hit, Dickinson may be dealt to a contender at the trade deadline, and there will be teams searching for a player of his caliber in free agency. However, if he ultimately stays in Chicago, a two-year deal with a $3-3.5 million AAV seems appropriate.

Ilya Mikheyev

The Vancouver Canucks essentially paid Davidson to take on Mikheyev’s contract in the summer of 2024, but since then, the 31-year-old has become a steady middle-six contributor in Chicago. After notching his second career 20-goal campaign last year, the Russian’s point totals have taken a dip this season, but he still provides elite speed and compete and is a large reason why Chicago currently boasts the league’s fifth-best penalty kill.  

Like Dickinson, Mikheyev could be trade bait and will have his suitors on the open market, but if Davidson opts to keep him, three years and a $4 million AAV will be hard for Mikheyev to turn down.

Sam Lafferty 

Lafferty, whose rights have been acquired by Davidson three separate times, has struggled to find consistent playing time or production with the Blackhawks. The Deerfield Academy product won’t attract the same attention he did at the 2022 Trade Deadline when Davidson sent him to Toronto, and he almost certainly will not be back with the Blackhawks next season. On the open market, Lafferty should be able to find a one-year ticket with a $1 million AAV.

Colton Dach

Dach has been a regular bottom-six forward for the Blackhawks this year and is currently fourth in the NHL in hits. His point totals don’t jump off the page (five goals and 14 points in 64 career games), but Dach provides an undeniable physicality that the Blackhawks simply don’t have enough of. The team drafted him in 2021 with the hopes of him becoming a solid power forward, and he is on his way to becoming that. 

At just 22, the Blackhawks will continue to see how Dach’s development pans out, and a two-year bridge deal with a $1.5 million AAV will provide him that opportunity. 

Connor Murphy

Murphy’s name has been swirling in trade rumors for the better part of the past two seasons. A mobile, 6’4” right-shot defenseman will always be in demand, after all. The longest-tenured Blackhawk is in the final season of a four-year contract carrying a $4.4 million cap hit, and his average ice time has dropped by over five minutes from last season. The writing is on the wall that the team is ready to give his spot to one of their budding defense prospects in short order.

At 32, this offseason will likely be Murphy’s last chance at earning big money, and I expect he will command a four-year contract with a $4-5 million AAV.

Matt Grzelcyk 

Despite posting a career-high 40 points with Pittsburgh last season, the undersized Grzelcyk found himself unsigned heading into training camp. Davidson took a flyer on him and has been rewarded with uneventful but steady minutes on the backend. Like Murphy, the Hawks will probably look to move the 31-year-old at the deadline, and he will not be back next season as his spot will be given to a younger player. 

This summer, the veteran blueliner should earn an upgrade on his current $1 million AAV, as he will be searching for a two-year pact in the $1.5-2 million range per year.

Ethan Del Mastro

One of a bevy of young defense prospects, Del Mastro has received NHL call-ups in each of the past three seasons. The 2021 fourth-rounder boasts decent skill for his size and is looking to prove to management that he should stay with the big club for the long term. If he can show the promise he showed in his 37-point debut AHL season, Del Mastro is capable of being at least a bottom-pair NHL defenseman.

Similar to Dach, the Blackhawks will want to continue to see what they have out of Del Mastro. A two-year prove-it deal with a $950k AAV will be in Chicago and the soon-to-be 23-year-old’s best interests. 

Laurent Brossoit

Injuries have prevented Brossoit from playing for Chicago since he signed in July of 2024, but he is trending towards returning to NHL action. He is 3-1-0 with Rockford in the AHL this year and has even scored a goalie goal. With backup Arvid Soderblom struggling, the Hawks will want to give Brossoit a look sometime this season, and he could parlay that into an extension if all goes well.

Given his lack of recent play and his age (32), a one-year, $850k deal could keep Brossoit in Chicago in 2026-2027.