Since Bedard’s next contract will begin in 2026-27, those figures will play a critical role in determining his market value, and The Athletic's Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus think he could command as much as $17 million per season in his new contract.

"We have star players, too, that don’t seem to be protected as well as some of the other teams’ stars," Blackhawks captain Foligno said.

The Chicago Blackhawks have seen a nice uptick in production from their young star Connor Bedard following a goal scoring drought in November. The phenom currently has 13 goals and 30 assists for a total of 43 points through 49 games in his second NHL season.