NHL Rumours: Bedard’s Massive Extension, Fantilli Next & Wild Wait for Larkin

In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we start off with the Chicago Blackhawks and Connor Bedard, who just signed a massive five-year deal. Next, we look at how the Bedard contract will inevitably impact the ongoing negotiations between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Adam Fantilli.

Finally, the Minnesota Wild reportedly held off on other moves with the hope of Dylan Larkin coming in.

Bedard Signs Massive Extension With Blackhawks

After the announcement that Bedard signed a five-year extension, there were a lot of questions about why the two sides settled on the term and salary he got.

Based on multiple reports, including a statement from Bedard’s agent, Don Meehan, the hold-up on the deal was regarding the term. Money didn’t seem to be an issue, but with the way the salary cap is going up, taking a shorter deal is in the best interest of the player. (from ‘Connor Bedard’s agent spells out Blackhawks contract negotiations, shoulder surgery decision’, Chicago Sun, July 19, 2026)

Meehan knew that Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson needed more than a three-year deal as a demonstration of commitment, so the two parties agreed on a five-year deal.

Regarding the salary, Meehan stated that they were not waiting on any other contracts to come through to set the market, like Leo Carlsson’s deal, for instance, but they had the $15 million in mind already.

The salary isn’t a huge shock to anybody at this point. The NHL landscape has completely shifted, and this will be the new normal.

Fantilli Price Continues to Rise

Throughout the big wave of restricted free agents and the ideas of offer sheets, Fantilli has been a candidate for one, too.

The Blue Jackets have just over $23 million in cap space with Fantilli unsigned, along with Jet Greaves and Cole Sillinger, who both filed for arbitration.

With the Carlsson offer sheet and Bedard’s new contract, the Fantilli camp can make its case for a higher salary now. While the current negotiations are believed to be north of a $10 million salary on a bridge deal, that price may have increased.

If Fantilli were to sign a three-year deal, a $12 million salary would be fitting, while a long-term deal could reach the $15 million benchmark Bedard set.

With the league getting younger, restricted free agents are continuing to maximize their earnings. While short deals in the one- to two-year range aren’t common for stars, long-term deals are becoming more rare with the dramatic rise of the salary cap. Fantilli may be no exception.

Wild Passed on Trocheck, Hopes for Larkin

Despite Steve Yzerman no longer running the team, the Larkin trade request is still a priority for the club to handle. While this managerial change may delay it, teams are still going to be calling and looking to get a deal done.

The Wild are certainly within the mix to get Larkin, and they have lots of confidence they can get it done.

Whether it be Robert Thomas, Mason McTavish, or any other centre, the Wild have called. Many of the centres that were rumoured to the club have been taken off the board. Vincent Trocheck was one that made sense from the time he appeared in trade rumours.

According to Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Wild “…essentially backed out of even attempting to trade for Vincent Trocheck this offseason because they were well aware Larkin wants to come to Minnesota.” (from ‘Steve Yzerman’s departure as Red Wings GM adds wrinkle to Wild’s pursuit of Dylan Larkin’, The Athletic, July 15, 2026)

It is no secret that the Wild are on Larkin’s trade list. There are four reported teams, being the Wild, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars.

With a good amount of prospect and pick value available, the Wild are able to meet the price, but the Red Wings had been prioritizing impactful NHL players as part of the return. Elliotte Friedman said that Joel Eriksson Ek could be a part of the ask, but that Wild general manager Bill Guerin wouldn’t do that.

How long are the Wild willing to wait on Larkin and the Red Wings? Will they pivot and find another centre to bring in?