Blackhawks' Bleak Off-Season Takes A Darker Turn With Connor Bedard's Injury

At heart, the NHL's off-season is about renewal and optimism. Regardless of how their previous season turned out, each NHL team enters the summer hoping that better days are soon ahead.

Each of the 32 fan bases monitors their team's every move and projects where their team will be in the upcoming season.

Unfortunately for the Chicago Blackhawks, this off-season is leading to more uncomfortable questions than comforting answers.

The latest news on Wednesday was that the Blackhawks' most-talented and most-important player – star center Connor Bedard – would be on the shelf for approximately four months after undergoing shoulder surgery. The 20-year-old is projected to be out of action until mid-November, and by then, Chicago could be buried in the NHL standings.

BREAKING NEWS: Blackhawks Issue Unpleasant Update On Connor Bedard's Injury

The Chicago Blackhawks have come out with an update for Connor Bedard following his summer injury.

The only additions of note Davidson made to Chicago's roster are Byram and grinder winger Jordan Greenway, as well as journeyman blueliner Ian Cole. Does that sound like the type of talent that's going to propel the Blackhawks up the Central Division standings?

It shouldn't.

The Hawks currently have $29.3 million in salary cap space, and though at least a third of it will likely go to Bedard when he signs a contract this summer, they still have plenty of cap space.

Are Blackhawks fans prepared for another season with bad luck and bad performances? Because unless there's some minor miracle, Chicago is going to spend the next season at or near the bottom of not just the Central standings, but the league standings.

The Hawks could use another dynamic young player – the type of player you only acquire with a top draft pick. That's why the Byram trade is so baffling. Chicago could've had a young D-man for the next decade-and-a-half, and while Byram is still only 25 years old, the Blackhawks could've brought in an 18-year-old to grow alongside Bedard and the younger core.

Projecting Blackhawks Lineup With Connor Bedard Sidelined

The Chicago Blackhawks must weather the storm that will be their reality without Connor Bedard for a while.

Thus, it's not a good macro picture in Chicago. They have gone about their business through the tanking and full-rebuild processes in the Windy City, but they don't have the type of elite depth that the Central's powerhouse teams can boast of.

Although the Blackhawks haven't made the playoffs for the past six seasons, nobody said it would be easy getting out of this part of their competitive cycle.

The Hawks do have a lot of pieces to like. But the stark truth of it all is that Chicago still has years to go before they're a legitimate Cup front-runner. And that means the upcoming season for the Blackhawks is going to be long, frustrating and disappointing once again.

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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 2:02 PM.