Connor Bedard, Blackhawks Agree to Contract After Being No. 1 in 2023 NHL Draft

The Chicago Blackhawks announced Monday that they agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Connor Bedard.

According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the contract was inevitable, and the two sides decided to wait until Bedard's 18th birthday on Monday to make it official.

Bedard is widely regarded as one of the best draft prospects in years, and he is expected to immediately make the Blackhawks roster as a key player for the 2023-24 season.

Per Powers, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson expressed hope at the draft that Bedard will be the franchise cornerstone most expect him to be, saying:

"Those players that can reach star potential are the hardest boxes and hardest positions to fill when you're building a team, and obviously first overall is a place where you hope you can get that. And I feel like we've got a player in Connor that has every chance to be that type of player for us."

The 5'10" Bedard was an unstoppable force at the junior level, following up a 51-goal and 100-point campaign with the WHL's Regina Pats in 2021-22 with 71 goals and 72 assists for 143 points in just 57 games last season.

Bedard was dominant during Regina's brief playoff run as well, racking up 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in seven games.

The Blackhawks dove headfirst into rebuilding mode last season, trading franchise great and future Hall of Fame winger Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers. Chicago also allowed another legendary figure in center Jonathan Toews to hit free agency this offseason.

Chicago's rebuilding efforts paid off in a big way, as it won the draft lottery and the right to select a generational talent in Bedard.

Bedard was perhaps the biggest slam-dunk first overall pick since the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Auston Matthews in 2016, and he is arguably the most hyped prospect to enter the league since Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid in 2015.

The Blackhawks were arguably the team of the 2010s, winning three Stanley Cups in a six-year stretch from 2010 to 2015, but they have not gotten out of the first round of the playoffs since their most recent Cup win.

Chicago has just one playoff appearance in the past six seasons and has missed the playoffs three years in a row, meaning it will likely need more than just the arrival of Bedard to return to playoff and Stanley Cup contention.

If Bedard is as good as advertised and has an impact rivaling that of McDavid, however, then the Blackhawks already have the main piece in place needed to ascend from the cellar of the Western Conference.