Time for Blackhawks to make Bedard captain, but on 1 condition

The Chicago Blackhawks had a bit of a light NHL trade deadline. The club followed through on expectations by trading its main UFAs away.

In particular, the deals that sent Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers and Nick Foligno to the Minnesota Wild were trades aimed at doing right by longtime veterans. In Murphy’s case, the trade was about giving him a chance to really play in the postseason for the first time in his career.

In Foligno’s case, the move not only reunited him with his brother Marcus, but it was also about giving the veteran one more kick at a Stanley Cup. That speaks volumes about the classy management running the Blackhawks organization at the moment.

But it also opens up another discussion. What happens to the Blackhawks captaincy now that Foligno is gone?

The short answer is simple. It’s time to make Connor Bedard captain.

The long answer is much more complex. It’s not so much a question about whether Bedard should be the captain. It’s more a question of timing. Slapping the “C” on him right now would be precipitated. There’s no rush to name a new captain this season.

But moving forward, the club would do well to name Bedard as its next captain. But that decision should depend on one specific situation.

Bedard must first-sign long-term extension

So, the main thing here is that Bedard does not have a contract for next season. He’ll be an RFA at the end of this season.

Thus far, there hasn’t been any indication that Bedard and the Blackhawks are set to agree on a new deal. That’s no bueno, but there’s time to figure things out.

The situation here could go in various directions. One such direction would be a short-term bridge deal. If that were the case, it wouldn’t make sense for Bedard to be named captain. While signing a short-term extension would be a practical matter, the optics wouldn’t look good for the Blackhawks.

Imagine naming a captain who will be a free agent again in two years?

That’s why the Blackhawks must only name Bedard captain if he agrees to a multi-year extension. If he signs for seven or eight years, give him the “C”.

Otherwise, the club can easily afford to play one season without a captain before choosing a new one.

There wouldn’t be anything wrong with naming someone like Alex Vlasic, considering he’ll be a free agent until 2030.

Perhaps Frank Nazar, who’s signed until 2033. Those are the types of contracts that the Blackhawks must prioritize in their selection for the club’s next captain.

It seems like it will only be a matter of time before the team dons the captaincy on Bedard. But until he’s got a long-term extension in two, the decision shouldn’t be a slam dunk.