The Chicago Blackhawks have locked in their franchise cornerstone for the near future. On Saturday, the Blackhawks announced that star center Connor Bedard has signed a five-year contract worth $75 million.

Bedard's $15 million average annual value makes him the third-highest paid player in the NHL for the 2026-27 season. Only Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million) and the newly-signed Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson ($18 million) are ahead of him.

"Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. "He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice. Connor's strong work ethic and determination to always improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core, and we're excited for the incredible impact he'll have in this next chapter of Blackhawks hockey."

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard has already displayed elite offensive upside, even if his overall game still has work to do. Last season, Bedard posted a career high 75 points in 69 games. In 219 NHL games, Bedard has totaled 75 goals and 128 assists.

The biggest issues for Bedard are durability concerns -- he's played fewer than 70 games in two of three seasons and will miss the first month of the upcoming season with a shoulder injury -- and subpar defense. The defense is a common problem for young centers and should improve in the coming years, but Bedard has now suffered multiple shoulder injuries in his career.

With Bedard's long-term contract finalized, both he and the Blackhawks will try to take the next step toward greatness. For the player, that means refining his game in order to become the $15 million man most believe him to be. For the team, that means surrounding Bedard with an adequate supporting cast for the first time in his career.

The next step for Bedard

First and foremost, Bedard needs to get healthy and stay healthy. After missing 13 games with a shoulder injury last year, Bedard suffered another injury that required surgery to fix, and he will miss roughly a dozen games out of the gate in 2026-27. Those issues may delay his jump into the NHL's elite tier of players.

Once back at full strength, Bedard will have to show improvement defensively. He oozes offensive ability, but if Bedard is going to be a true No. 1 franchise center, he has to thrive at both ends of the ice. With Bedard on the ice at five-on-five last season, Chicago surrendered 3.60 xGA/60, per Natural Stat Trick. That was the second-worst number on the team with rookie Anton Frondell bringing up the rear.

That doesn't necessarily mean Bedard was the Blackhawks' worst defensive player, but it does mean he often struggled when going up against the opposing team's best players. Stars -- especially those raking in $15 million per season -- are expected to drive play for their team regardless of circumstance. Bedard didn't do that last season.

Bedard also needs to show more growth in the face-off circle. To his credit, Bedard has already done that, going from 38.9% as a rookie to 47.1% last season. Still, Chicago would probably like to see Bedard closer to 50%, especially with him taking key draws in big moments. Maybe that number keeps rising as Bedard gets strong and adds more tricks in the dot.

If Bedard can round out his game without the puck, $15 million per season will be a very fair deal, especially as salaries explode across the league.

The next step for the Blackhawks

We've already seen what can happen when a restricted free agent has all the leverage in contract negotiations. The Ducks were essentially backed into a $90 million contract after the Philadelphia Flyers signed Carlsson to a massive offer sheet.

That risk was there for Bedard too, which is why Davidson deserves some credit for signing him at a more reasonable cap hit. Bedard still has work to do in order to reach that price point, but his ceiling is worth at least $15 million per season.

The Blackhawks can help their young star by putting more NHL-caliber players around him. Chicago tore it down to the studs in hopes of landing Bedard in the 2023 draft, and while that plan worked, it also created a roster full of holes around the No. 1overall pick. Over the last three seasons, Bedard has had little help.

Chicago already improved its defense this offseason when it acquired Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres. Say what you will about the acquisition cost or his $75 contract extension, but Byram inarguably makes Chicago better on the blue line. That unit still needs work, but it's a step in the right direction.

The real issue is finding Bedard a quality running mate at the top of the lineup. Outside of Bedard, only one other player topped 50 points in 2025-26, and it was 31-year-old Tyler Bertuzzi. Chicago still has $14.1 million in cap space with which to add some firepower, but some upgrades will have to come internally.

It's conceivable that the Blackhawks' lineup will include seven players selected inside the top 50 picks of the last five drafts.

• Frank Nazar (No. 13 overall, 2022)
• Sam Rinzel (No. 25 overall, 2022)
• Connor Bedard (No. 1 overall, 2023)
• Oliver Moore (No. 19 overall, 2023)
• Roman Kantserov (No. 44 overall, 2023)
• Artyom Levshunov (No. 2 overall, 2024)
• Anton Frondell (No. 3 overall, 2025)

That's an exciting proposition, and fans have reasons to be optimistic about the future. That said, none of those players have really established themselves as future stars, outside of Bedard. Frondell, Nazar and Rinzel seem like the best bets to get there soon, but that's based more on projection than anything tangible.

The first month of the season should be an excellent barometer for the Blackhawks as they assess those players. Bedard will be out of the lineup, and it'll be interesting to see who sinks and who swims until he returns. Once Chicago establishes exactly what it has in its young nucleus, Davidson can then go out and aggressively address needs via trades and free agency.