Connor Bedard proving he’ll be championship-caliber centerpiece for Blackhawks

LAS VEGAS — The Blackhawks’ contract negotiations with Connor Bedard next summer are becoming both pricier and simpler with every passing day.

Bedard’s overnight leap into one of the NHL’s best players at age 20 has presumably increased his asking price from a lot to a ton of money. Given the skyrocketing salary cap, he might have a valid argument for $15 million per year on a maximum eight-year deal.

But having one of the league’s best players on the cusp of his prime is a great — no, absolutely fantastic — position for the Hawks to be in. No matter the price tag, it’s worth it. Many other franchises would switch places with them in a heartbeat.

In fact, he’s proving to be so good that the negotiations might not end up centered on his performance and upside at all. Instead, his and the Hawks’ camps might find themselves determining what cap hit both sides agree would give the team enough remaining space and flexibility to assemble a contending roster around him.

Because there’s no doubt anymore that’s what Bedard is: a championship-caliber centerpiece.

Even in hockey, a star like that can make the difference between a team like the Hurricanes — a strong, deep team that hasn’t gone the distance in the playoffs — and a team like the two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Panthers.

Without him, the fate of the Hawks’ rebuild would look uncertain. With him, it seems likely to succeed. He gives the Hawks a potentially game-breaking player who strikes fear into every opponent, every night, every shift.

His draft pedigree and fame already made him a spotlight player the last two years, but his dominance is justifying that spotlight this year.

When Bedard raced into the neutral zone during the third period Tuesday, he was nearing the end of an 87-second shift, with teammates joining him on the rush and with the Golden Knights’ best defenseman, Shea Theodore, between him and the goal. In that situation, 95% of players would dump the puck in.

Yet the Vegas crowd buzzed with anticipation, sensing what was possible specifically because of who was carrying the puck. And Bedard delivered, going inside-out on Theodore to create space for a shot, then sniping the top corner of the net.

It was his 17th goal and 38th point — many of which have been instant highlights — in just 26 games.

That puts him on pace for an absurd 54 goals and 120 points, the latter number representing a threshold only Denis Savard eclipsed in Hawks history. It’s unlikely Bedard can maintain quite that pace, but he’s certainly blazing toward at least becoming the sixth Hawk ever to tally 100 points (joining Savard, Jeremy Roenick, Patrick Kane, Bobby Hull and Steve Larmer).

The fact Bedard is reaching these heights at this age, with this incomplete a supporting class, is remarkable. He’s marching through a truly special season.

Plus, it’s not just offensively where he has taken a massive leap. His faceoff percentage has surged from 38.3% last season to 49.0%. Defensively, he’s learning how to use his natural skills — like his quick hands and vision — to force turnovers and relieve pressure.

His work ethic and dedication to winning habits have strengthened, as coach Jeff Blashill constantly heralds. Six minutes after his go-ahead goal, there was Bedard hustling inside his own zone, winning a battle against Mark Stone and flipping the puck out to safety.

The Hawks still ended up losing in a shootout Tuesday — despite a filthy shootout goal by Bedard, to nobody’s surprise. Because of bad luck and subpar execution in close games this season, his dominance hasn’t yielded as many wins as it could’ve for the 10-9-6 Hawks.

But long-term, Bedard is clearly going to bring many, many wins to Chicago, especially once the roster is fleshed out. That feels inevitable now.