- Connor Bedard says he is “very happy with the amount of money I’m making” on his new Blackhawks deal
- The five-year extension carries a $15 million cap hit, third-highest in the NHL behind Carlsson and Kaprizov
- Read below for Bedard’s full media availability and where his numbers stack up
Connor Bedard isn’t playing coy about the size of his new paycheck.
The Blackhawks star met with reporters Monday for the first time since signing his five-year extension over the weekend, and he didn’t dance around the number when asked what the deal meant to him.
“Obviously very happy to get it done. I’m very happy with the amount of money I’m making. It’s a lot.”
Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times caught the 21-year-old chuckling his way through the answer:
Chicago posted his full media session. Watch it here:
The five-year extension carries a $15 million cap hit and pays Bedard $75 million in all. That makes him the third-highest-paid player in the league, behind Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson at $18 million and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov at $17 million.
There was chatter this summer that a rival club might try to pry him loose with an offer sheet. Bedard shut that idea down and made clear where he wants to be.
“Chicago is the only place I want to play.”
He earned the raise. Bedard won the Calder Trophy as a rookie with 61 points, then set career highs last season with 30 goals and 75 points in 69 games. Through 219 games with Chicago, he has 203 points.
The one catch is health. Bedard had shoulder surgery earlier this month after an offseason training injury, and he isn’t expected back until around November.
Once he’s cleared, the Blackhawks will lean on their $15 million man to drag them out of the rebuild.
