Connor Bedard's worst-case scenario is now confirmed after blockbuster signing

Connor Bedard's shoulder injury played a role in the price tag on his next contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, per a fresh report.

Insider David Pagnotta said on The Sheet this week that the injury "no question affected a little bit of the dollars" Bedard ended up getting.

David Pagnotta: Re Connor Bedard extension/Blackhawks: The injury no question affected a little bit of the dollars that [he] ended up getting.

Bedard is still on injured reserve. His file lists an estimated return date of November 11, 2026.

That's a chunk of next season Chicago's franchise center could miss before he even steps on the ice.

He still put up 75 points in 69 games last season. Thirty goals, 45 assists, five game-winning goals.

Locking in term while an injury is fresh on the file is exactly how a team finds a discount. It's also exactly how a deal turns ugly two or three years down the road.

Betting on a banged-up shoulder is a bit like buying a used car with the check engine light still on. It might run fine for years. It might not.

Blackhawks staring down another rough season

Chicago finished 29 and 39 and 14 last season, good for 72 points and the second-worst mark in the NHL.

Only Vancouver finished behind them. General manager Kyle Davidson and head coach Jeff Blashill inherited a rebuild that still has real work left.

The Blackhawks did close the year on a one-game win streak, a 5-2 win over San Jose. Small mercy on a season that produced a minus-62 goal differential.

Bedard's own final stretch was rough too. Eight points in his last 10 games, zero goals, a minus-14 rating over that span.