Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard undergoes shoulder surgery, out 4 months

It’s the middle of summer, which means there isn’t a ton of NHL news to sift through, but there is some, and in the case of the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s very bad.

That’s because the team just learned that their franchise centerpiece, Connor Bedard, will be out for four months after being injured in practice.

This means that he will not be back in the team’s lineup until November.

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Bedard was practicing in Vancouver last week when video began circulating showing him falling during a drill and leaving the ice in obvious discomfort.

Well, that discomfort was real, and on Wednesday the Blackhawks announced that the former first overall pick had undergone surgery on his left shoulder and is expected to make a full recovery.

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The only problem is that it will force him to miss some action early in the upcoming season.

Now, the Blackhawks will be happy to have him back a month or so into the season as opposed to him missing four months of the regular season, but that will make Chicago’s start to the season critical.

They play in a tough Central Division, and they need to keep up with the likely playoff teams in it — teams like the Avalanche, Stars, Wild, Mammoth and maybe the Jets — so they don’t have to dig out of a hole when Bedard returns to action.

Bedard dealt with an injury to his other shoulder last season. (David Gonzales-Imagn Images)

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Bedard is no stranger to injuries. He battled an injury to his right shoulder last season, and in his rookie campaign back in 2024-25 he suffered a broken jaw.

When healthy, he has averaged just under a point per game. field, which is something the Blackhawks need as they continue to work their way back to being perennial playoff contenders.