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It’s the middle of summer, which means there isn’t a lot of NHL news to sift through, but there is some, and in the case of the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s very bad.
That’s because the team just learned that the centerpiece of its franchise, Connor Bédard, will be out for four months after being injured during practice.
This means he won’t be back in the team’s lineup until November.
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Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard will miss four months of action after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. (David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
Bédard was training in Vancouver last week when a video began circulating showing him falling during a drill and leaving the ice in some discomfort.
Well, that discomfort was real and on Wednesday the Blackhawks announced that the former first overall pick had undergone surgery on his left shoulder and is expected to make a full recovery.
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The only problem is that this will force him to miss some action early in the upcoming season.
Now the Blackhawks will be happy to have him back about a month into the season, instead of letting him miss four months of the regular season, but that will make Chicago’s start to the season critical.
They play in a tough Central Division, and they need to keep pace with likely playoff teams — teams like the Avalanche, Stars, Wild, Mammoth and maybe the Jets — so they don’t have to climb out of a hole when Bédard returns to action.
Bédard suffered an injury to his other shoulder last season. (David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
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Bédard is no stranger to injuries. He suffered a right shoulder injury last season and during his rookie campaign in 2024-25, he suffered a broken jaw.
When healthy, he averages just under a point per game, which is something the Blackhawks will need as they continue to become perennial playoff contenders again.
