Connor Bedard recently underwent surgery on his left shoulder after an unexpected incident in which he fell into the boards. The Blackhawks are now reporting that he's expected to take approximately four months to recover. This is a gnarly blow to the Blackhawks immediate prospects, and and even deeper hit to GM Kyle Davidson.
With the Blackhawks scheduled for their first preseason game on September 19th, this means Bedard is likely to miss at least the first full month of the regular season. This is yet another unfortunate setback for the Blackhawks and their fans who were hoping to see the team take a step forward, despite foolish front office decisions.
Blackhawks will have to weather another early-season storm
The Blackhawks have been rebuilding for a couple years now, and it's about the time that they begin making the climb back to prominence. This season stands as Bedard's fourth season with the team, and his steady uptick in production has been nothing short of promising. He accomplished more points in 25-26 than he did during the 24-25 season, and he played in over ten less games!
With Bedard as the centerpiece, the team has been seemingly built around him. He led the Blackhawks in points last season, and he's still set to be the focal point of any team taking on Chicago.
Without Bedard on the ice, it will give players such as Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi a stronger chance to shine. It should also shine more of a spotlight on the Blackhawks offseason additions, as Chicago will need them to help carry the extra burden placed on the team until their star center is ready to return.
Bedard's injury isn't expected to have long-term effects, but it certainly changes the outlook many fans have on this season. A month of ice time is a lot to miss, especially when you're missing all of the summer practices and preseason as well. If the Blackhawks hope to make the playoff conversation this season, they'll need the rest of the team to step up, weather the storm, hand hold down the fort until they're whole again.
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