With new contract in hand, Connor Bedard can focus on the season ahead

“I’m very happy with the amount of money I’m making – it’s a lot!”

That’s what Connor Bedard had to say today when meeting with the media for the first time since signing his five-year, $75 million contract extension over the weekend. Most of us woke up the day after our 21st birthday with a terrible hangover and very few memories of the night before. The Chicago Blackhawks’ young star got the fourth-richest contract in franchise history.

Bedard’s Commitment Never Wavered

While Blackhawks fans stressed out about a deal getting done, Bedard never sweat anything out.

“It’s nice to get it done for myself and the team,” he said. “I don’t think there was any stress involved with it. We both knew it wasn’t going to take too many calls or meetings to get it done.”

The Blackhawks could have signed Bedard to an eight-year deal, but the two sides settled on five years. According to The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus, Bedard’s camp considered even a shorter deal to maximize his earning potential, but general manager Kyle Davidson got a longer deal done.

“You want both sides to be happy with the term,” Bedard said. “Both of us feel pretty good about the length of it. You’ve seen that more with the five-year deal coming out of the first one. We’re both comfortable with it and happy with where it ended up.”

When the Philadelphia Flyers signed Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet worth $18 million per season, that made a lot of us wonder what would happen with Bedard. Would that make his AAV go up? Would he entertain the idea of signing an offer sheet?

“That didn’t change anything,” revealed Bedard. “I’ve said it so much, and it’s not anything fake. Chicago’s the only place I want to play. Seeing the growth of our young guys and how good of a group we are in the room, how tight it is, and how much fun we have. I’m very happy to get this deal signed and now focus on the team.”

Let the Excitement Begin

Now that the negotiations are done and the ink has dried on the contract, the Blackhawks young star can put his energy into the upcoming season. Bedard says the team has had a great summer with the players they have brought in.

“We’ve added a lot of pieces that help our team and make us better,” he said. “It’s hard not to be happy.”

Davidson got his offseason off to a big start with the acquisition of defenseman Bowen Byram, who is locked in for the next six seasons. He will be a big part of the core going forward and, hopefully, of the future success.

“Obviously, getting Bo - he’s going to be one of the best D-men in the league,” Bedard said. “He’s always shown that, but you play behind Cale and Dahlin; it’s not easy to take their spots. So, for him to get that opportunity to be that one and prove myself in that way. And he’s going to do it. He’s one of the most skilled players in the league, and his motivation to prove that is unbelievable.”

Byram is not the only new face. Roman Kantserov has come over from the KHL, and Anton Frondell will be here from day one. Veterans Ian Cole, Cole Smith, and Jordan Greenway add more grit and physicality to the lineup. Hopefully, it’s enough to keep the team afloat until Bedard returns from his injury in November.

“We want to take a big step this year,” said Bedard. “We want to be a playoff team. That’s our only goal. To add that high-end skill, and the other guys who are physical and can help on the other end of the ice, is just as important. I think our adds are going to be a huge difference. We feel good about our group and what we’ve got going in. We’re extremely confident in each and every guy in the room and the growth we’ve all had. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.

“We’re a close group. We’re a family, and now they’re a part of that. I think Ian Cole landed the most crosschecks on me out of anyone in my life, but now he’s my teammate. We’re both going to go to war for each other, which is the beautiful thing about hockey.”

It’s hard not to get excited when you hear the way Bedard talks about his teammates. This is a tight-knit group that believes in one another, even when nobody outside of the locker room does. That belief can go a long way in proving a lot of people wrong this season.

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