Blackhawks young star won't play for Canada in World Championship

Bedard has been urged to wait until the Blackhawks clarify their plans to develop a winning team around him. And with how the coaching search is going, Chicago has much to prove.

At the very least, he could wait to extend his contract until next offseason when the pay scale should be higher.

Bedard said during his end-of-season presser that he likes being in Chicago and wants to remain with the Blackhawks. But he appears to have money on his mind before his upcoming contract season.

Bedard is skipping the World Championship

Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, Bedard won’t play for Canada at the World Championship this year.

Powers doesn’t know why Bedard declined the opportunity, but suggested that the center wants to improve his skillset this offseason instead of playing for Canada.

“Didn’t hear exactly, but I assumed this was a possibility if he wanted to hit the offseason hard and work on his speed,” Powers responded to an X user. "There’s little upside to playing more games.”

Bedard needs to improve a few aspects of his game before he enters negotiations with the Blackhawks. He must improve his face-offs and avoid turning the puck over.

Playing the World Championships won’t help with that.