There’s speculation about the Ottawa Senators’ potential interest in pending UFA goaltender Stuart Skinner. If acquired, it’s estimated to cost the Senators around $3.25 million, bringing their goaltending tandem’s cost to approximately $11.5 million. This is notable given Senators GM Steve Staios’s familiarity with Skinner from his time with the Oilers.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks face a significant decision regarding Connor Bedard’s upcoming contract. While the team likely hopes for an eight-year deal, the restricted free agent holds considerable leverage. It’s anticipated that the Blackhawks will have difficulty rejecting Bedard’s demands.
Bedard could potentially command the highest salary in the league, a request that might not be unreasonable given current market values. While there’s no direct indication he’ll aim for figures like Kirill Kaprizov’s $17 million, projections from AFP Analytics suggest an eight-year deal around $13.2 million, with Dom Luszczyszyn projecting $13 million and a market value of $13.7 million.
Comparisons are drawn to other recent young player contracts, such as Logan Cooley’s eight-year, $10 million deal. Future contracts for Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli are also on the horizon, along with Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. Bedard could be looking at 12 to 15 percent of the salary cap for an eight-year term, a structure that the Blackhawks might accept, especially if it’s for a shorter duration. Auston Matthews’ past contracts, which represented a significant percentage of the cap, are cited as examples. This upcoming signing represents the last opportunity for players to sign eight-year contracts.
Securing Bedard on a short-term deal close to $20 million annually would still leave the Blackhawks with cap flexibility. However, they will need to manage upcoming contracts for defensemen Kevin Korchinski, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov, as well as forward Anton Frondell.
Bedard himself has expressed openness to the Blackhawks’ perspective, stating, “But at the end of the day, it’s just seeing what fits the team best, what fits me best and just going from there. I’m very open to however they see it and what they have to say.”
