The multimillion dollar question facing Bedard, Blackhawks

Break the bank or give ’em a break?

That’s the multimillion dollar question when it comes to Connor Bedard and his next contract with the Blackhawks.

This subject hasn’t received much attention of late, but it will pick up considerable steam in the coming weeks and months.

Rather than sign a deal last off-season, Bedard bet on himself to prove he’s worthy of a massive extension. Well, Yahtzee! The bet paid off as the 20-year-old center ranked fourth in the league in goals (19) and points (44) before injuring his shoulder against St. Louis on Dec. 12.

So, what will Bedard’s contract look like? Much might depend on his way of thinking.

Does he want to sign a short-term deal to put the Hawks on notice that he’s not going to put up with all of this losing much longer? Or is he totally 100% committed to the organization and willing to sign for the maximum term of eight years?

Also: Does he want to end up in the upper echelon of contracts and approach the average annual salaries of Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million), Jack Eichel ($13.5M), Leon Draisaitl ($14M) and Kirill Kaprizov ($17M)? Or is he OK with taking less — possibly far less — to allow GM Kyle Davidson the flexibility to build a championship roster?

According to one source, these last two questions are absolutely conversations agents have with their top-tier clients.

“It's definitely a philosophy,” the source said. “Hey, are you in this to make as much money as you can, and you don't really care about the team around you? Or are you in this to make a really healthy living and also win championships? … I’ve had clients who have had both outlooks.

“It's amazing — the ones that have the championship outlook, along with making good money, end up playing longer and having way more fun with their career. Showing up every day with not much of a chance to win … isn’t really good for your health, both mentally and physically. Having that opportunity to win each day and make deep runs in the playoffs goes a long ways.”

A few good examples of players taking less money to help championship contenders include Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady, the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos and — more recently — Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. McDavid, who has yet to win a title on the uber-talented Oilers, inked a modest two-year, $25 million deal in October.

“When you look at McDavid, he could give them a blank check, and it would be worth it, right?” Alex DeBrincat told me at the United Center after his Red Wings beat the Blackhawks on December 13. “He gave his team more room to work with.”

Remember, McDavid — who averages 126 points per 82 games — was coming off an 8-year, $100 million contract. So he easily could have asked for the moon.

Instead, he stayed on earth.

“I guess it’s a unique situation,” McDavid told reporters. “We weren’t going to sign a long-term deal, so two years at that number makes a lot of sense. It gives us a chance to extend our window here in Edmonton. … It’s about winning, and that’s always what I preached, and I think this deal gives both sides what we’re looking for.”

Hawks GM Kyle Davidson has done an admirable job of locking up some young players to long-term contracts at reasonable salaries. They include forwards Frank Nazar (7 years, $6.6M AAV) and Ryan Donato (3 years, $4.0M); defenseman Alex Vlasic (6 years, 4.6M) and goaltender Spencer Knight (3 years, $5.83M).

In the coming years, Davidson will negotiate with Artyom Levshunov, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, Wyatt Kaiser, and others.

Then there are potential franchise-altering free agents to consider.

It’s a puzzle every GM must deal with as he attempts to build a championship roster.

My source believes Bedard will sign an eight-year contract once the season is over. In that person’s mind, anything under $10 million a year would be considered a discount, while something in the $10 million to $12 million range is certainly justified. Others believe Bedard is worth upward of $15 million, or even $16 million.

Anything under $11 million seems a bit low, but I guess it’s also understandable because Bedard is still only 20 years old and won’t become an unrestricted free agent until at least 2029 (the exact date depends on the length of the extension).

Hawks fans should hope that all parties are happy, so it’s a win-win for everyone. In the end, that’s all that matters, so that this lengthy, drawn-out rebuild bears the kind of fruit that results in scary, nasty teams that terrorize the NHL for years to come.