Connor Bedard Signs 5-Year Extension And Confirms His Trust In The Blackhawks

The Cubs stumbled out of the All-Star Break with a deflating 5-2 loss at home against the Twins. Their lineup couldn’t solve Bailey Ober, left runners on base all game (1-for-10 with RISP), and cracked open the door to a potential retreat following the untimely break. Thankfully, they honored the 2016 champs with a resounding series win and 16 combined runs in the next 2 games. Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga fired gems, Nico Hoerner went 8-for-13, and Pedro Ramirez went 4-for-7 in his 2 starts.

The keys to a successful second half are simple: avoid a monthlong slump at the plate and get a healthier pitching staff. It only took one series to get me excited about the upcoming playoff hunt. A quick vacation didn’t deter the Cubs from grinding at-bats as they walked 14 times in the series, and everybody in the lineup contributed. That’s when they’re unstoppable. PCA and Dansby Swanson looked human again, but everyone else stepped up to put runs on the board. The most encouraging part of the weekend was the starting rotation. Rea, Boyd, and Imanaga threw 6+ innings each and limited damage. Adding an effective string of starts to a hot lineup could lead to another impressive streak of winning. As it is, the Cubs have only lost 1 of their last 10 series!

Rookies report to training camp this week, and the first regular season game is less than two months away!

Connor Bedard signed a 5-year, $75M ($15M cap hit) contract extension and, through his agent, vocalized his belief in the organizational direction. The number is artificially astronomical as the 3rd highest AAV contract in the NHL, but Bedard suppressed his potential earnings in comparison to Leo Carlsson’s recent $18M AAV offer sheet. For the Blackhawks, the number was essentially inconsequential. He was going to remain in Chicago, and he will be worth any contract they place in front of him. The NHL’s salary cap was stagnant for five years and is about to regularly climb, so the Blackhawks won’t be short on space to build around Bedard.

You know who else signed a 5-year extension at 21 years old? Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in 2009. This iteration of the Blackhawks is clearly on a different timeline and not destined to win the Cup this season, but Kane and Toews took home two championships during those 5 years before agreeing to equal 8-year deals as franchise cornerstones. This team is still a few years out, but it makes you wonder how much Bedard can accomplish before his next contract is on the table. As the future captain, he may resemble Toews a bit more than Kane, but who will be his right hand man to bring the Cup back to Chicago?

Blackhawks legend Chris Chelios shared that Patrick Kane is deciding between his two homes in free agency: Buffalo and Chicago. I didn’t expect Kane to ever return to the Blackhawks after their separation and Kyle Davidson’s adamancy to hand over team leadership to the new wave of players. Now that it’s legitimately on the table, I would love to see Kane back in Chicago. He’s still an elite scorer (24 points in his last 20 games last season), his experience would sharpen the locker room, and he wouldn’t be preventing anyone from a clearly deserved Top 6 spot. Pair up Bedard and Kane on the top line and see where they can go!

Caleb Wilson’s only goal in Summer League was to win the championship. The Bulls fell a bit short thanks to poor shooting, sloppy play, and disappointing performances by Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue. The Bulls finished with ugly shooting stats (.403/.296/.593), had the 3rd least assists per game (15.6), and had the 3rd most turnovers per game (18.8) on their way to a deserved 1-4 record.

To Wilson’s credit, he put on a show and played more games than the other highly drafted rookies in the league. He talked about the importance of playing for fans who come to see him, his love for the game, and his desire to work. He was horrific from the free throw line (33.3%) but otherwise put up impressive numbers (23.5 ppg) while displaying inhuman athleticism on both ends of the court. They didn’t miss out on the championship because of him.

Starting pitchers will be the best Cubs relievers in the playoffs.

Maybe an entire season of injuries could pay off.

Since the Cubs are in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot with a couple months left in the season, it’s reasonable to start projecting who will contribute in October. For a makeshift pitching staff like theirs, it’s difficult to know who will be effective much less alive.

The latest update on closer Daniel Palencia was discouraging, so his status is very much up in the air. A major trade acquisition like Mason Miller is enticing, but I don’t see the Cubs pulling the trigger with a massive prospect package similar to 2016. This front office values starters immensely more than relievers.

There is a chance Ben Brown, Edward Cabrera, and Justin Steele all return from the IL in August or September. Without sufficient time to stretch out as starters, any of them could be utilized as weapons in the bullpen. The importance of starters are diminished in the playoffs, so calling on starters for multiple innings in the middle of games may be a superior strategy. Remember how dominant Ben Brown was before his injury??