Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard's future in the NHL severely impacted

The 18-year-old phenom took the Calder trophy this year and has shown the league that he will likely be the next face of the NHL. During this time, the Blackhawks will enjoy his contract of $950,000 for the next two seasons as he is still on his entry level deal.

It's after that time, where the questions are being raised. Bedard has said repeatedly that he has put winning ahead of his finances as he would like to win a Stanley Cup as fast as possible. In a cap world, many teams have proven that a more spread-out cap hit across all aspects of the team will likely mean greater success.

But at 20 years old and with the production he has shown, it's likely he will command a major salary which some have said could be $14 million a year. This salary will impact the Blackhawks greatly if Bedard and the organization go down this path.

If he stays the course of wanting to win, there's a possibility that he could take a team friendly deal at a lower cost to help bring in better players and boost the chances for the Blackhawks to go deep in the playoffs.

It's worth noting that general manager Kyle Davidson has cleared much of his books in 2026-2027 as he will need to reconstruct a large portion of his roster with several unrestricted free agents will be released and negotiate the new deal for Bedard.