Connor Bedard: "The risk of not being a Blackhawk wasn't worth any amount of money"

The big story in Chicago Blackhawks land right now is, of course, the return of franchise legend Patrick Kane with the team. Kane held his first press conference back with the squad yesterday as he spoke to the Chicago media about his comeback.

Easy to miss amidst this Kane development was Connor Bedard's interview on TSN Overdrive. Bedard was asked about a variety of topics, including Kane signing with the team and how his rehab is going as he nurses his shoulder injury post-surgery. He was also asked about his recent contract extension and how that process played out. Bedard said exactly what you want to hear if you are a Blackhawks fan when answering that question.

Connor Bedard shows commitment to Chicago

Bedard was asked about the Leo Carlsson offer sheet situation on the show. The Anaheim Ducks were forced to match an $18 million deal from the Philadelphia Flyers in order not to lose their franchise player. As the Carlsson dilemma unfolded, noise spread over the possibility of more offer sheets to follow across the league. One player who featured in those discussions was Bedard, as he had not yet extended with the Blackhawks during this time.

Speaking on whether the Carlsson offer sheet had any effect on his contract negotiations with Chicago, Bedard shut down this notion. He stated: "The risk of not being a Blackhawk was not worth any amount of money."

This is a strong statement from Bedard to make. His recent extension with the Blackhawks should put to bed any doubts about his commitment to Chicago. With that said, there has still been the usual outside talk in NHL circles about him not being happy with the team. This quote should end those discussions. The fact that Bedard was not willing to sign any offer sheets, despite that he could have commanded an even higher number than the $15 million deal he signed, displays his loyalty to this organization. The Blackhawks would have matched any offer, but doing so could have put the team in a future bind with the salary cap.

Even if Bedard was never planning on entertaining any offer sheets, he could have still asked for his agent to raise the number after the Carlsson scenario went down. Looking back on these past three seasons, Bedard has outproduced him handily on far worse Blackhawks teams. Bedard has amassed 75 goals and 128 assists for 203 points in 219 games, while Carlsson has totaled 61 goals and 80 assists for 141 points in 201 games.

Yes, there is more to the game of hockey than putting up points. With that said, any objective analyst of this sport should realize the differences in the ceiling of these two players. Bedard is a player who has been able to produce at just under a point-per-game rate with much less to work with on his wings compared to Carlsson. The thought of how much better Bedard will continue to get as this Blackhawks team around him improves is scary. So, while the $15 million number Bedard signed is a big one, the contract could have been even richer. Bedard will be paid $3 million less than Carlsson over the next five years. Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks should be thrilled about that.

Lastly, for Bedard, how he has handled these contract talks proves that he is ready for the position of being the next Blackhawks captain. He has shown those same loyal genes as many Canadian greats before him, including Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews. Even Kane would likely agree that Bedard is deserving of receiving the club's captaincy. He is the player who has been the centerpiece of this rebuild throughout his career thus far. It is time to hand Bedard the full reins and let him lead this team forward.

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