The Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard had his strongest season in the NHL last year as he amassed 30 goals and 45 assists for 75 points in 69 games in what was his third campaign in the league. It was a solid bounce back campaign for Bedard after a disappointing sophomore year in the prior season. As a result, Bedard featured in the NHL Network’s top 50 players ranking, although his placement on the list has sparked some debate amongst fans.
Bedard Ranked 44th on the NHL Network’s List
Bedard was ranked 44th in phase one of the NHL Network’s top 50 unveil, which included positions 41-50. This is an improvement over last year when Bedard did not make the list altogether. While Bedard cracks the list in this year’s ranking, many fans believe he was placed too low in the running.
Bedard’s 2025-2026 season was a “Jekyll and Hyde” campaign of sorts, making him a tough player to place on such a list. As many pundits have pointed out, Bedard’s play in the first half of the year was elite. He recorded 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points in 31 games when he was healthy at the onset of the season. This put him among the league’s best performers; his level of production was even on par with Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks.
Unfortunately for Bedard, his season was derailed in mid-December as he went down with a shoulder injury in a tilt with the Blackhawks archrival St. Louis Blues. This sidelined for Bedard for approximately a month’s time; he opted to avoid the surgical rote and rehab the shoulder instead. When Bedard came back in early January, hie game was not at the same level. His second half was less impressive as he registered 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in the final 38 games of the year. Clearly, he was playing compromised with a shoulder that was likely not fully healed.
Bedard has High Expectations Heading into 2026-2027 Season
The health troubles have followed Bedard this summer as he was forced to get surgery on his opposite shoulder after undergoing another injury during offseason training. He will begin this 2026-2027 season on injured reserve. He was given a four month timeline at the time of his surgery in July, setting him up for a return sometime in November.
The expectations will be high for Bedard when he comes back from injury. He received a five year $75 million contract extension with Chicago this summer, paying him $15 million per season. He has also been tipped as the favorite to be named the Blackhawks next captain. Bedard will have more help this year compared to past seasons with the team as franchise legend Patrick Kane has arrived back in town.
The standard has been raised in the Windy Center as Bedard heads into his fourth season with the club. The results have not been there thus far as the team has been rebuilding throughout his NHL tenure thus far. However, this season carries expectations of winning after an aggressive offseason by general manager Kyle Davidson. The play of Bedard when he comes back from injury will play a large part in dictating how this season plays out for Chicago.