The Blackhawks have a big-ticket contract this summer with center Connor Bedard in need of a new deal. It doesn’t appear as if talks are going well thus far as Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times relays that it doesn’t sound like they’ve made much progress in those discussions. The top pick in 2023 is coming off his best season so far, one that saw him pick up 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games but it’s widely expected that his best years are still to come. Accordingly, the two sides are going to be building a deal that pays him with the expectation of those big seasons. Pope speculates that the AAV could land between $13MM and $16MM depending on the term of the agreement. An eight-year deal can be signed until mid-September but Bedard’s camp could push for a shorter-term contract to allow him to sign a bigger one down the road.
More from the Central:
- The Mammoth are hoping to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent Alexander Kerfoot, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. At this point, discussions aren’t believed to be close but they’re still in talks. The 31-year-old is coming off an injury-riddled campaign that saw him play in a career-low 34 games where he had seven goals and six assists. Kerfoot’s output has ticked down a bit as of late but he still has two seasons of at least 45 points out of the last five while his positional versatility adds some value as well. He’s coming off a deal that saw him make $3MM and given the demand for centers this summer, Kerfoot could potentially beat that if he makes it to the open market.
- Having already moved out Ross Colton to open up some cap space, Sean Keeler of The Denver Post suggests that the Avalanche’s next move should be to deal winger Valeri Nichushkin. The 31-year-old has been a quality top-six winger when he’s at his best but between injuries and time in the Player Assistance Program, availability has been an issue for him while he’s coming off an underwhelming performance in the playoffs after putting up 49 points in 72 games during the regular season. Nichushkin has four years left on his contract at $6.125MM per year and moving him out would open up a lot more flexibility for GM Joe Sakic to work with. However, it would also create an opening to fill in their top six and Nichushkin’s overall track record is good enough to drum up some interest.
