HawkTalkChi

Connor Bedard heads into Jeff Blashill’s first summer in Chicago with one clear target: more speed, more pop, and a bigger push into star territory. 

Bedard said speed and explosiveness sit at the top of his offseason list, and that’s a big statement from a player who already carried a massive share of the Blackhawks’ attack. 

This isn’t just summer talk. Bedard also said he wanted the extra month of training time, which is why he passed on spring tournament duty and got right to work back home in Vancouver. 

That matters because Chicago is entering a new phase. Jeff Blashill is the Blackhawks’ head coach, and Bedard’s development is going to sit in the middle of every lineup call, every practice plan, and every big decision. 

The timing lines up with what Bedard just finished. He played all 82 games and posted 67 points, a strong total on a club that ended the season at 25-46-11. 

But the final snapshot showed why Bedard isn’t satisfied. In Chicago’s April 13 loss to Buffalo, he was held scoreless, had no shots on goal, and went minus-3 in 13:51. 

Why Bedard’s plan changes the conversation

The easy read would be to call this a young star trying to get stronger. Bedard’s own words point somewhere sharper than that. He wants more burst in his first few strides and a faster overall pace. 

That’s the kind of tweak that can change everything for a top-line center. More separation off the rush means cleaner entries, more touches inside the dots, and fewer nights where defenders can crowd him before he gets to his release.

It also gives Blashill more options. A quicker Bedard can drive play on his own line, stay dangerous on the power play, and force matchups that make life easier for Chicago’s top six.

There’s pressure attached to that, too. Bedard is no longer just the future face of the rebuild. He’s the player the Blackhawks need to drag them from empty April games into meaningful hockey.

And he sounds like he knows it. Reports out of his summer work say he has focused on training smarter, not just harder, with skating mechanics getting real attention. 

That’s why this offseason plan lands as more than a headline. Bedard isn’t chasing a flashy side project. He’s attacking the one trait that could lift his whole game another level and set the tone for Blashill’s first camp.

Chicago still needs roster help. But if Bedard shows up faster, more explosive, and more assertive off the puck drop, the rebuild starts to look a lot less patient and a lot more dangerous.