The Chicago Blackhawks have had to begin the 2026-27 NHL season without their new captain on the ice.
Connor Bedard was given the ‘C’ during the offseason, but injury has kept him from playing so far.
It sounds like that’s soon going to change.
Connor Bedard Playing Status Update
Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill told reporters on Monday that Bedard is “trending” toward playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Blashill noted that Bedard’s trend will likely result in the decision being left up to the coach. When he said that, he laughed and said, “We’ll see how that goes.”
Certainly sounds like a coach who wants his captain back.
Chicago head coach Jeff Blashill said Connor Bedard is trending towards being a “coach’s decision” on Tuesday vs. Pittsburgh.
He paused then laughed and said: “We’ll see how that goes.”
I think that means he’s probably playing, #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 12, 2026
Bedard is coming back from a shoulder injury that has kept him out since April.
Blashill acknowledged: “Not easy to just jump in and be great.”
The head coach also spoke about the potential hurdles and positives of this return:
Jeff Blashill on Connor Bedard:
“He came back last year and still had restrictions on him: no faceoffs and things like that. There’s mental hurdles involved with that. With this one being surgically repaired, it’s in a great spot.”
But he cautioned it’s “not easy to just jump in and be great” without having played any games since April.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 12, 2026
It’s also worth noting that Bedard is looking like he could be part of a fascinating line for Chicago.
Connor Bedard Line
During practice on Monday, Bedard was centering a line with Roman Kantserov and Patrick Kane on his wings.
Bedard skating with Kantserov and Kane again. Certainly looks like the Blackhawks are preparing for him to play tomorrow.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) October 12, 2026
No offense to Kantserov, but Kane is the eye-popping part of that line.
Kane, for the most part, is the Blackhawks’ glorious past. He came back to Chicago this season, but now this is a lot more like his swan song.
Bedard is the Blackhawks’ present and their future.
For Chicago fans to see Bedard and Kane side by side on the ice will be a very big deal. It’ll feel a bit like the passing of the torch.
It’ll also just be nice to have Bedard back out there. No one likes to see injury absences, particularly to young players still on the rise. Chicago has waited a while to see Bedard play again, and it sounds like his return is imminent.
Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard Playing News is Big Deal After Injury