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NHL Notebook: Connor Bedard signs five-year extension

Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

By Ryley Delaney

Jul 20, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 19, 2026, 22:04 EDT

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The 2026 off-season has officially become a crawl.

As is the case after the free agent frenzy on July 1, the off-season has come to a halt as player and executives enjoy their summer. Still, there have been a handful of recent signs and extensions over the last few days, including Connor Bedard.

On Saturday, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they’ve agreed to terms to a five-year deal worth $15 million annually with their first overall pick in 2023.

Chicago Blackhawks

@NHLBlackhawks

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𝐄 𝐗 𝐓 𝐄 𝐍 𝐃 𝐄 𝐃 🏠 from draft night to his first goal on UC ice and every moment in between, here’s to 𝟓 more years of 𝟗𝟖 in Chicago ❤️

8:25 PM · Jul 18, 2026

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Bedard is coming off a career-best season, scoring 30 goals and 75 points in just 69 games, up from his 23 goals and 67 points in 82 games last season and 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games during the 2023-24 season.

Last season, he missed some time due to a shoulder injury, but was in the top 10 for league scoring. Early into this off-season, Bedard suffered a left shoulder injury during practice, and is set to miss the beginning of the 2026-27 season.

Flyers sign Jamie Drysdale

Another restricted free agent that came to terms is Philadelphia Flyers’ defenceman Jamie Drysdale, who signed a four-year deal worth $6.5 million annually.

Elliotte Friedman

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Jamie Drysdale and Philadelphia have settled to avoid arbitration 4 x $6.5M

6:31 PM · Jul 17, 2026

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Drysdale was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks with the sixth overall pick in 2020. After parts of four seasons with the west coast team, he was sent to the Flyers in exchange for Cutter Gauthier.

You can point to this exact trade for the ensuing drama surrounding the teams with the Leo Carlsson situation earlier this off-season, but Drysdale is coming off a career-best season. In 78 games with the Flyers in 2025-26, he scored eight goals and 32 points, setting a career best in the former and matching a career-high in the latter.

Drysdale also helped the Flyers make the post-season, appearing in 10 games where he scored twice and picked up two assists as the Flyers eventually lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.

Connor McMichael signs six-year extension

On Thursday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Freidman reported that the St. Louis Blues extended Connor McMichael to a six-year deal worth $6.75 million annually.

Elliotte Friedman

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Connor McMichael and STL avoid arbitration with a 6 x $6.75M extension

8:53 PM · Jul 16, 2026

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McMichael was drafted 25th overall by the Washington Capitals in 2019. He became a regular in 2021-22, scoring nine goals and 18 points in 68 games, but played just five NHL games in 2022-23, instead winning the Calder Cup with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears.

By 2023-24, McMichael established himself as an NHL’er, scoring 18 goals and 33 points in 80 games. He followed that up with a career-best 26 goals and 57 points in 82 games in 2024-25, but he saw his numbers drop this past season, scoring just 14 goals and 46 points in 78 games in 2025-26.

Around the 2026 NHL Draft, McMichael was traded alongside a 2026 first round pick to the Blues in exchange for Jordan Kyrou, one of several big moves that the Capitals made in preparation for Alex Ovechkin’s potential last season in the NHL.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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