What comes next after latest Connor Bedard injury update?

The Chicago Blackhawks got a gut punch on Wednesday following the latest Connor Bedard injury update.

The Blackhawks' star center will be out for about four months following shoulder surgery. The outcome was pretty much in the cards following the concerning fall the 20-year-old had during a practice in early July.

Bedard’s reaction as he skated off the ice immediately tipped everyone off that something was wrong.

Now we know precisely what happens. Bedard suffered a serious injury and will have to rehab it for months before he returns to the ice. The team announced on Wednesday that Bedard underwent surgery, and the recovery time should be around four months, leaving him to return around November.

The big question here is: What happens next?

Naturally, rehab will ensue following the surgery. But the question aims to answer the broader question of what the Blackhawks will do with Bedard out until mid-November.

That timeline assumes, of course, that Bedard doesn’t have any setbacks and that he’ll return to the ice on time. If he has any setbacks, the timeline could be delayed further.

That’s why the organization will have to plug a major hole down the middle. Without Bedard, the logical heir to the top-line center role will be Frank Nazar. That situation would open up a spot for Anton Frondell to start the season at center, with Oliver Moore also moving up the depth chart.

Meanwhile, the fourth line figures to remain essentially a veteran group, including Ryan Donato, Jordan Greenway, and Cole Smith.

And it also means that everyone will need to step up. The Blackhawks cannot afford to have key members take a step back this season. So, the club will be expecting a big start to the season from Nazar, with first-year player Roman Kantserov potentially shining from the get-go.

Blackhawks fans can forget about a trade at this point

There might be a temptation for GM Kyle Davidson to make a move to offset Bedard’s absence. But the fact is that the organization won’t be making a trade to add a center.

Perhaps a late-summer free-agent signing or a veteran on a PTO might join the squad. But that would only be as a means of plugging a hole until Bedard eventually returns.

Fortunately for the Hawks, no one is expecting them to make the playoffs this season. Those expectations would buy the team enough cover until Bedard returns. However, a slow start could essentially doom the Blackhawks’ season.

So, here’s hoping that Bedard’s recovery goes according to schedule. The team will need him sooner rather than later. Of course, that is once Bedard gets his next contract sorted. Perhaps the surgery will allow all sides to take a deep breath and sort out the situation.

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