Connor Bedard provides significant update in contract extension talks with the Chicago Blackhawks

With all the money they have, it shouldn't be a problem, and Bedard confirmed that idea in an interview, mentioning he wants to stay and be a Hawk.

Bedard said in an interview with Ben Pope that he wants to be in Chicago, and that talks are already happening and that there's no concern with getting anything done. He's staying.

The 2023 #1 overall pick has 128 points through 150 games in two seasons, with 23 goals and 67 points in his first fully-played season last year. Nathan MacKinnon, arguably the best player in the NHL outside of Connor McDavid, said that at his age he'd kill for numbers like that.

The main key is that it probably won't get done until around the midseason mark or end of the season. Bedard is going to bet on himself, hopefully having the best season of his career, and continuing to show steady growth, which he should. There's no need to rush into a contract extension early if you're Bedard and know that Chicago is the place you want to be.

Maybe Bedard and his camp are trying to figure out if a three-to-five-year bridge deal is better with the cap space going up, and if you're Chicago, obviously, that isn't the most ideal scenario. The Blackhawks will be entering playoff contention and Bedard will be entering his prime.

Another guess is the Blackhawks are still working out the last logistics of the rebuild, so they're trying to figure out what percentage of cap Connor should take up, and what's fair to the team and him.

Anyhow, the most important part is there's no intention to leave from Bedard's side, and the franchise guy loves the city and the team.