Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks are suddenly the centerpiece of a wild cap projection this week.
A graphic posted Sunday by the account Bleed Oil Blue claims that by 2027-2028, Bedard and defenseman Bowen Byram will combine to earn 27.5 million dollars against the cap.
That is more, the post claims, than Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard will earn combined for the Edmonton Oilers that same year, pegged at 23 million.
Next year, the Blackhawks duo of Connor Bedard and Bowen Byram will earn more combined than Oilers Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard.
McDavid carries a 12,500,000 dollar cap hit and Bouchard sits at 10,500,000, a combined 23,000,000 right now, matching the graphic's claim for the Oilers exactly.
So the Edmonton number in that post isn't a projection at all. It's already this season's reality.
The Bedard extension question Chicago can't avoid
The Bedard side is the one that was just fixed, and that's where this gets interesting.
Byram is putting up real numbers to justify a bigger role going forward, with 42 points and a +15 rating across 82 games this season.
Bedard had 75 points in 69 games and a -18 rating, still working through his rookie deal. Now he sits at $18 million for the next 5 years.
The Blackhawks sit 29-39-14 and rank 31st overall, a rough season by any measure.
Compare that to Edmonton. The Oilers are 41-30-11 and 14th overall, already paying market rate for a 138-point season out of McDavid alone.
Bouchard is producing like a number one option too, with 95 points and a +25 rating over 82 games on the blue line.
Handing a rebuilding team's kids a bigger number than an actual playoff contender feels like paying for hope. Edmonton's number is already paid for wins.
Kyle Davidson is the general manager who signed off both Byram and Bedard's new contracts.
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Would you rather have Bedard and Byram's cap hit or McDavid and Bouchard's right now?
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