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It's the middle of the 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 of action for four months after getting injured while training.
That means he won't be back in the team's lineup until November.
NHL TEAM'S ROUGH OFFSEASON GETS WORSE AS FRANCHISE LEGEND LEAVES TO COACH FOR ARCH-RIVAL
Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard will miss four months of action after undergoing surgery on an injured left shoulder. (David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
Bedard was training in Vancouver last week when video started making the rounds showing him falling during a drill and leaving the ice in some clear 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 having him miss four months of the regular season, but that is going to make Chicago's start to the season critical.
They play in a tough Central Division, and they have to keep pace with the likely playoff teams in it — squads like the Avalanche, Stars, Wild, Mammoth and maybe Jets — so that they don't have to dig out of a hole when Bedard returns to action.
Bedard dealt with an injury to his other shoulder this past 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 he's healthy, he has averaged a little under a point per game pave, which is something the Blackhawks will need as they continue to work their way back to being perennial playoff contenders.
Matthew Reigle is a writer for OutKick.
