One of the most high-pressure moments in the career of any GM comes when they’re ready to sign a generational superstar to a big extension. It’s a deal they have to get right – an overpay could cripple the entire franchise, but they absolutely can’t afford to let their biggest talent walk. On Monday, the Minnesota Wild experienced this dilemma firsthand, announcing that they had signed star defenseman Brock Faber to an eight-year, $68 million contract extension. The 21-year-old who finished second behind Connor Bedard in voting for the Calder Trophy at the conclusion of his rookie season is now on the books until 2030 since the contract extension begins at the end of his entry-level contract next summer.
The Wild have only seen one full season of production from their star young defenseman, but after seeing him post 47 points and rank sixth in ice time among all NHL skaters, they had seen enough. Even though Minnesota could have signed Faber at a lower risk after they had seen more from him next summer, the benefit of locking in an extension early is that if he continues to elevate his game as one of the league’s best blueliners, their cap room won’t be sacrificed as a result.
The Wild aren’t the only team wrestling with a decision on a contract extension for the face of their franchise. Bedard only has one impressive season under his belt, but after the Faber news, the Blackhawks could be preparing to open their checkbooks earlier than initially expected. Otherwise, Bedard is set to hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2026.
Even though signing a player based on limited sample size has plenty of risks (even more so for a forward like Bedard), the Blackhawks signing their star early has more than a few perks. Assuming that Bedard blossoms into the superstar that everyone expects him to be, locking him into a long-term deal after two years of production could be immensely team-friendly.
If Bedard is able to put together a spectacular season alongside potential new linemates, it wouldn’t be a bad deal for either side to offer him somewhere between $10-12 million annually. The numbers may sound daunting, but in a league where the salary cap continues to rise and teams become willing to pay their stars more, he could even be considered as vastly underpaid by the end of such a deal (think Patrick Mahomes in the NFL, whose ten-year, $450 million deal is now generally considered a steal). Contracts in that range have worked out in the past for teams like Toronto, who paid a 21-year-old Auston Matthews $11.6 million annually for five years after two and a half seasons.
In addition to simply securing Bedard’s on-ice talent, it’s important to lock in a player of his caliber to reap off-ice benefits as well. His No. 98 sweater was sold more than any in the league last season, and as the face of the franchise already, he’s completely indispensable from a marketing standpoint. The Blackhawks will be more than happy to pay him whatever he wants next summer, meaning they can rest easy, sell more sweaters, and continue to build around him both on and off the ice.
After seeing the contract their rival’s biggest star was given, the Blackhawks may have to open their checkbooks earlier than they thought. Although paying a 19-year-old, even one of Bedard’s caliber, comes with plenty of risks, Chicago can’t afford to let their biggest star even get to a contract year, let alone free agency.
