Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard’s latest injury update has fans worried about the team’s immediate future.

The 20-year-old underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair his left shoulder after crashing into the boards during offseason training in Burnaby, British Columbia on July 2. Bedard lost balance and crashed into the boards while skating with a group of pro players in Burnaby, British Columbia, and quickly left the ice to get help.

The team announced a four-month recovery timeline, meaning Connor Bedard will miss all of training camp and at least the opening month of the 2026-27 season under the NHL’s expanded 84-game schedule. Blackhawks team updated on his injury in a statement released on X.

"This morning, forward Connor Bedard underwent successful surgery to repair his left shoulder. We expect him to make a full recovery in an approximate timeline of four months," the statement said. 

This marks his second shoulder injury in less than a year. Bedard missed 12 games last December after injuring his right shoulder on a faceoff against the St. Louis Blues, but that did not require surgery.

He is now a restricted free agent after completing his three-year entry-level deal. Negotiations were underway between his camp and the Blackhawks before this latest setback.

Even with all the time he missed, Bedard still led Chicago with 75 points on career-highs of 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games last season.

Bedard now holds 203 points in 219 games since Chicago selected him as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. He even won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in his first season.

Fans Reaction to the Injury News

The injury update was discussed quickly among Blackhawks fans online, with people complaining about the team's recurring injury luck.

A fan sounded concerned about Bedard's injury history, "Second shoulder injury in less than a year. Concerning." The fan pointed to the time Bedard hurt his right shoulder in December and is now dealing with another injury to his left one. 

The comment also underscored fan worry about Bedard's durability heading into contract talks.

Another fan was blunter about how his performance would be in the upcoming season: "Well, that's another season screwed." Some fans clearly think how important Bedard is to Chicago's lineup.

"It bothers me more that he won't be able to train like he does this off-season than missing a month of the season," a fan wrote, talking about a four-month recovery window overlapping with Bedard's usual summer training regimen. 

"Looks like he'll be out about 1/4 of the season, which makes any progress by this team very questionable." Another fan echoed the same, estimating the time he’d miss to be somewhere around 20 games.

Others showed concern over Chicago's roster depth. "Most teams are next man up; this team is always one injury away from the season being over. Wish him a speedy recovery, though. 😔" 

One thing that was common among the fans is the belief they hold that the Blackhawks lack proven depth behind their franchise player, even while wishing him well.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Koushik Biswas