Connor Bedard signs $15M AAV deal, becomes NHL’s third-highest-paid player

Connor Bedard just landed the third-biggest payday in the NHL. On 18 June 2026, the Chicago Blackhawks locked him in with a five-year, $75 million contract extension carrying a $15 million average annual value.

What happened?

The Blackhawks announced the deal late Friday, vaulting Bedard past every player except Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews in annual salary. The extension runs through the 2030-31 season and includes a full no-movement clause. Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson called it “a cornerstone move” for the franchise.

Why it matters for Connor Bedard

At 20 years old, Bedard becomes the youngest player ever to crack the NHL’s top-three AAV list. His $15M figure tops the previous high for a 20-year-old-Artemi Panarin’s $11.5M in 2015-by roughly 30%. The contract also sets a new benchmark for rookie-scale extensions, shattering the old record held by Matthews at $11.6M in 2019.

What comes next?

Bedard is expected to report to training camp in September with the full weight of a franchise-altering deal on his shoulders. The Blackhawks now have three years of cost certainty under the salary cap, freeing up flexibility to address other roster gaps. Coach Luke Richardson hinted Bedard will be slotted as the first-line center from day one.

How the league reacted

McDavid and Matthews-Bedard’s two elders in the top-three club-both sent congratulatory messages on social media within hours of the announcement. The trio now forms the clear tier separating the NHL’s financial elite from the rest of the league. Bettors immediately slashed the odds on Bedard winning the Hart Trophy next season from +400 to +250.