Connor Bedard reacts to Frank Nazar's contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks

On Thursday, the Chicago Blackhawks organization surprised a lot of people by announcing an unexpected contract signing.

While all eyes were on Connor Bedard to see if he would sign an extension with Chicago during the offseason, another player who's set to enter the final year of his entry-level contract agreed to sign a deal: Frank Nazar.

Nazar, 21, signed a seven-year contract valued at $46.13M, confirming his place in the Hawks' long-term plans despite drafting Anton Frondell earlier this summer.

With Frondell and Bedard, the Hawks can now count on incredible depth at that position for a long time.

Now, locking up Bedard is the next step.

Bedard's extension will be the main topic of conversation in Chicago during the season if a deal doesn't get reached before the start of the regular calendar.

After Nazar signed his long-term deal, Bedard took to social media to congratulate his teammate.

Here's what he said:

Nazar scored 12 goals and 14 assists in 53 games last season with the Hawks. As for Bedard, the 2023 first overall pick scored 67 points, including 23 goals, in 82 games.

Both players are expected to reach another level of their development next season.

This deal says a lot about what can be expected for Bedard. While he's the team leader and will be a superstar in Chicago for a long time, it's not unrealistic to think he could accept a reasonable salary to help management build a team with a lot of depth.

Make sure to stay tuned for all the updates regarding Connor Bedard's contract extension.