The Chicago Blackhawks are counting on Connor Bedard to lead them to great heights.
They named him their captain with an expectation of a franchise that is back on the rise, with its young star centerman doing his thing to put the team on his back.
He does not have a back equipped to put anything on it quite yet, though.
Bedard is still recovering from injury, and it’s still going to take a little time.
The Blackhawks play on the first night of the NHL regular season. On Tuesday, Sept. 29 they’ll be playing in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights.
Bedard won’t be ready then, and it might not be soon, either.
Connor Bedard Injury Update
Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill spoke to reporters on Wednesday and admitted Chicago doesn’t know exactly what’s coming yet for Bedard.
He was asked about a Bedard return to practice, and he said that it wasn’t happening yet.
I asked if he knew when Bedard was joining the team for the practice. He said they weren’t close to that yet, but he’d try to provide an update when that was on the horizon.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 23, 2026
Bedard hurt his shoulder late last season and eventually had surgery in July. He was given a four-month return timeline, which would go into November.
So at this point, it’s not necessarily a surprise that Bedard isn’t ready yet. It’s just a bit of a bummer.
Bedard is slated to be the top center for Chicago, but their lines will have to be different in the early going.
Connor Bedard Career So Far
The Blackhawks took Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s a native of North Vancouver, and he played with the Regina Pats before the Blackhawks took him.
He has now played three seasons in the NHL, elevating his numbers each time.
As a rookie, Bedard had 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points. He was a minus-44 on a rough Chicago team.
In 2024-25, he went for 23 goals and 44 assists, an increase to 67 points, and he was better at minus-36.
Then in 2025-26, Bedard scored 30 goals with 45 assists to give him 75 points in just 69 games, while improving to a minues-18.
Bedard isn’t a hugely physical player, and he’s yet to win half of his faceoffs in a season, but he’s still a player on the rise, and he’s been tasked with bringing the Blackhawks closer to their glory days.
He just turned 21 years old in July, so the sky still seems to be Bedard’s limit.
The Blackhawks have other talented young players around him, too, including one of his best buddies, center Frank Nazar.
Eventually, Chicago should be able to put a solid lineup on the ice. It’s just not going to happen by Opening Night, because Bedard isn’t ready yet.
Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard Injury Update Leaves Doubt About Return Date