Connor Bedard’s growing frustration leads to trade talks in Chicago!

The Chicago Blackhawks are dead last in the Central division with a 3-6-1 record and superstar Connor Bedard has had enough. Fans and insiders have witnessed his frustration over his team’s slow start to this season and earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that it has pushed the Hawks to look at the trade market.

Let’s all calm down here: Friedman is not saying that Bedard is unhappy in Chicago and wants to be traded. However, he did reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Blackhawks might have to look at options on the trade market for short-term roster improvements in order to keep Bedard happy without derailing their long-term plan.

Friedman went on to explain that Chicago attempted to acquire star winger Jake Guentzel during the summer before the Carolina Hurricanes traded him to the Tampa Bay, where he signed a long-term lucrative deal with the Lightning. At least, the Blackhawks did try to get a star line mate for Bedard, which proves they could be at it once again on the market.

Chicago could use their prospects and draft picks to make a competitive bid for a top player and get immediate help up front. On top of that, they benefit from great salary cap space, meaning that this summer, they could try to sign a top free agent. As team insider Ben Pope wrote:

“They have 11 first+second round picks already accumulated for the next three drafts, and the 50-contract limit is eventually going to come into play given the size of the prospect pool, so those picks could be more expendable.”

The Blackhawks are allegedly looking for a second-line center with some pundits suggesting Anaheim Ducks’ Trevor Zegras as a top candidate for the spot. However, this is an issue they are most likely going to tackle in the offseason, while they could prefer to address Bedard’s frustration first and foremost.

Gotta keep the kid happy!