Overview

• Speaking at the NHL/NHLPA media tour, Bedard said both sides are comfortable with the situation and that a deal will come when the time is right, adding he could sign before the season but may not.
• Insider Frank Seravalli has reported that Chicago and Bedard have not started formal extension talks.
• Bedard became eligible to sign on July 1 and is set to be a restricted free agent next summer, keeping his next deal in focus throughout the 2025–26 season.
• Analysts suggest Bedard and his agent may wait to negotiate to benefit from a potential breakout and a rising salary cap.
• One projection based on comparable seven-year deals for Nico Hischier and Nathan MacKinnon pegs a possible Bedard contract around seven years and $64.8 million, or roughly a $9.256 million annual cap hit.