The Chicago Blackhawks have a problem, but it’s a good one. Their star center Connor Bedard wants to get paid like one of the best players in the NHL. And according to reports, he’s looking for a number that would put him in Kirill Kaprizov territory.
According to The Fourth Period, Bedard’s camp is eyeing a contract that pays him around $17 million per season. That’s a massive jump from where the Blackhawks reportedly started their internal discussions. Chicago GM Kyle Davidson is believed to have opened talks in the $10 million to $12 million range. You can see the gap there.
NHL insider Irfaan Gaffar laid it out pretty plainly. “Connor Bedard is in for a payday. He saw Bowen Byram get a payday. I think that Connor Bedard is looking at Kirill Kaprizov money,” Gaffar said. “I think that is a situation and that is a number that he’s looking at, and I do strongly believe that he thinks he deserves it. I’m not entirely sure the Chicago Blackhawks as an organization are close to that number when discussing Connor Bedard right now.”
Kaprizov signed a five-year extension with Minnesota that carries a $13.5 million cap hit for reference. Bedard reportedly wants something north of that.
Byram’s deal changed the conversation
It’s worth noting that Chicago just handed defenseman Bowen Byram a six-year extension worth $12.5 million per season. That’s a lot of money for a guy who’s good but not a superstar. And it tells you where the market is heading. If Byram gets $12.5 million, what does a 75-point center with Bedard’s ceiling ask for?
Bedard posted a career high 75 points during the 2025-26 season. That’s not Connor McDavid territory yet, but the trajectory is clear. His point totals have gone up every year since he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2023. He’s got 203 points in his NHL career so far. No playoff appearances yet, but that’s not really his fault. The Blackhawks are still rebuilding.
Chicago missed the playoffs in 2025-26 with just 72 points. That’s rough. But Bedard is the guy they’re banking on to drag them back into contention. The question is whether they’re willing to pay the price to keep him around.
Contract talks are reportedly ongoing. And the difference between what Bedard wants and what Chicago has offered so far is pretty wide. The Blackhawks have the cap space. They just have to decide if Bedard is worth that kind of money right now, given where the team is at.
He probably is. But the negotiations are going to get interesting.
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