Blackhawks star Bedard to miss start of season

Chicago Blackhawks star center Connor Bedard is expected to miss the start of the season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday. The Blackhawks announced that fans should "expect [Bedard] to make a full recovery in an approximate timeline of four months." Based on that timeline, Bedard would miss at least the first month of the 2026-27 season. It's the first 84-game season under the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement, with the start moved up to late September. Bedard, who turns 21 on July 17, was injured during a training session with Kaivo Hockey in Vancouver. Video shot by Blackhawks Focus on July 2 showed him losing an edge and crashing into the boards before quickly leaving the ice while favoring his left shoulder. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft who won Rookie of the Year honors in 2023-24, Bedard is entering his fourth NHL season. He led Chicago with 75 points in 69 games last season, scoring 30 goals. For his career, Bedard has 203 points in 219 games, skating to a minus-98. Bedard has yet to appear in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the rebuilding Blackhawks. Chicago went 29-39-14 last season, an 11-point improvement on the previous season. The Blackhawks finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the past three years. Bedard is a restricted free agent, having completed the final year of his entry level contract. General manager Kyle Davidson has said he won't comment on negotiations until there's a deal with his star center. But those talks might have been complicated by the recent offer sheet signed by Anaheim Ducks restricted free agent center Leo Carlsson with the Philadelphia Flyers. Carlsson, who was selected second overall to Bedard in 2023, will have an average annual salary of $18 million beginning next season, the highest of any player in the NHL. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.