Connor Bedard signed a five-year contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 18, 2026. The deal runs till the 2030-31 season. This also puts Bedard on a path that is very similar to Patrick Kane's early years in Chicago.

Bedard has scored 203 points in his first 219 NHL games. Kane hit the exact mark, too, 203 points in 219 games, during his time with the Blackhawks.

Kane also signed a five-year deal once his entry-level contract expired. Bedard has now done the same thing. This was highlighted in a post on X by Ben Pope, comparing the parallels.

"Patrick Kane recorded 203 points in his first 219 NHL games with the Blackhawks," Pope wrote on X on July 18. "Connor Bedard has now done the same. Patrick Kane signed a five-year contract after his ELC expired. Connor Bedard has now done the same."

The parallels were impossible to ignore as they came in during Bedard's first three seasons. Early on, both players scored 146 points in their first 164 games. Then, in April 2026, Bedard reached 200 career points in just 215 games, which matches Kane's pace exactly.

That also made Bedard the seventh-fastest player in Blackhawks history to hit 200 points. He's the only one to do it before turning 21 at such a young age.

General manager Kyle Davidson talked about his quick growth when he announced the deal.

"Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL," Davidson said.

Kane was acquired by Chicago as the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. He won the Calder Trophy as top rookie in 2008. He then went on to help the Blackhawks win three Stanley Cups over the next few years. 

Kane became the franchise's all-time leading scorer and one of the best American-born players in NHL history. He then closed his career with the Detroit Red Wings. 

Similarly, the Blackhawks were rebuilding when they drafted Bedard as the first overall pick that year. Now, the team treats him as the core of that rebuild, just like how Kane once was.

Connor Bedard’s new deal

Bedard's extension has a $15 million annual salary cap hit, as discussed in an article by the NHL. It’s set to start in 2026-27 and runs till 2030-31, covering all his prime years. This extension also comes out after his best season yet. In 2025-26, Bedard set his career high with 30 goals, 45 assists, and 75 points in 69 games.

He also led Chicago in assists, points, and goals, and finished second on the team.

Bedard became the third Blackhawks player to score 30 goals before turning 21. As the player is still recovering from his offseason shoulder surgery, he might miss the start of next season after undergoing surgery in mid-July.

Still, this new deal from Chicago hints that the team still holds him to their expectations.

What are your thoughts on Bedard's comparison with Kane? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar