While a report coming out of the Chicago Blackhawks dismissed concerns around Connor Bedard and his speedy surgery rehab, there may be no more concerns to stress about. Expected to miss the first month of the 2026-27 NHL season, Bedard only seems to be headed in the right direction.
If Bedard can keep it up, he might not miss much time at all in the upcoming NHL campaign. Or indeed, he may, but more as a precaution by the Blackhawks than because he truly needs to be sidelined.
“Bedard continues to ramp up his work as he rehabs from his summer shoulder injury. He was little more aggressive with the shooting today than he was from what I saw on Friday, and he was moving pretty well on the ice. All of this is very encouraging,” Tab Bamford reported on Bleacher Nation after the Blackhawks’ unofficial team practice on Monday.
Bedard rehabbing from shoulder surgery
When the Blackhawks announced Bedard had undergone offseason surgery on his left shoulder, the team stated he would be out for four months, with an estimated return set for November.
Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Clearly, Bedard wants to prove the timeline wrong and be back—if it were up to him—for the season opener in Las Vegas on Sept. 29. He may be a star and look even older than he is when he talks and leads the Hawks on a nightly basis, but Bedard is still 21 years old and learning life in the NHL. Some things he may still not know better. It’s up to Chicago not to mess things up with his recovery from surgery on his left shoulder.
“Bedard is still skating on his own; he is not medically cleared to resume skating with contact with the rest of the Blackhawks,” Bamford added in his report. For the time being, any suggestion that Bedard will be back on a certain date is only a wild guess and should be taken as such.
Bedard could be healthy, but not active
Still, what’s indeed probable is that Bedard beats his original recovery timeline. It may take less time than the Blackhawks imagined for Bedard to be healthy and fit to play. Whether he does play or not, that’s a whole different question. Bedard may hope to talk himself into the lineup and prove his form in practice, but Jeff Blashill will have to know better.
As intense as scrimmages in practice can be, Bedard’s teammates will always hold back a bit before making contact with him, especially if he’s yet to make his official return to NHL action. The Blackhawks will only get one chance at nailing Bedard’s return game, and they can’t mess it up.
There are no refunds, and the franchise player is at stake in a season as paramount as the upcoming one will be for the entire organization. Too many jobs will be on the line in Windy City come fall. And they will all go as far as Bedard can take them.
