Connor Bedard Injury Update, Latest on Blackhawks Star's Timeline to Return After Shoulder Surgery

The Chicago Blackhawks will be without Connor Bedard to start the 2026-27 NHL season.

Bedard underwent left shoulder surgery Wednesday and will be sidelined for approximately four months, the team announced.

The surgery took place six days after Bedard appeared to suffer an injury on a fall during practice.

A four-month recovery timeline would put Bedard on track to return around early to mid-November.

Bedard missed time last season with what appeared to be a right shoulder injury suffered Dec. 12. He sat out 12 games before returning without undergoing surgery.

He recorded the most productive season of his NHL career despite the missed time, posting 75 points (30 goals, 45 assists) in 69 games. The Blackhawks went 5-7-1 with him on the sideline.

Bedard previously missed almost six weeks of his rookie 2023-24 season after suffering a fractured jaw.

This latest injury comes amid uncertainty regarding both Bedard's next contract and his leadership status.

The Blackhawks are currently without a captain after trading Nick Foligno to the Minnesota Wild earlier this offseason, leaving the path open for Bedard as a potential successor.

Bedard is also currently a restricted free agent following the expiration of his three-year rookie contract.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said last week there were no updates on negotiations with Bedard, which could have been complicated by the record-setting $18 million average annual value offer sheet pending for Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson.

For now, the Blackhawks could look to add a veteran center before heading into the fall with a relatively inexperienced group of Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene.

Among those centers, only Nazar has played more than one full season at the NHL level.

Bedard's injury could also give 2024 first-round pick Sacha Boisvert a better chance at competing for a roster spot in training camp.

Boisvert, 20, made his NHL debut at the end of last season. He could hope putting on weight this summer will help make his case to start the season in Chicago.