Connor Bedard nearing return from shoulder injury for Blackhawks

Bedard remains on injured reserve with no timeline, so he cannot help fantasy rosters until the team formally activates him.

By Fantasy Roundup Staff · October 11, 2026

Chicago Blackhawks captain Connor Bedard is on injured reserve following left shoulder surgery on June 24. He has been practicing with the team and could make his season debut during the club's current homestand, pending a follow-up medical appointment. Chicago hosts Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Winnipeg on Thursday and Dallas on Saturday.

Bedard cannot help fantasy managers until he is activated from injured reserve. Once cleared to play, he returns to a first-line center role with a spot on the top power-play unit, where he averaged 3:23 of power-play time per game before the injury.

Fantasy impact

Player by player

Connor Bedard

Bedard is on injured reserve with no return date, so he cannot play in any fantasy lineups until the Blackhawks activate him. He has three games remaining this week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), but managers must wait for official word before counting on him. His recent averages show 0.99 points per game, 2.9 shots per game and 0.33 power-play points per game across a 213-game sample. He averaged 20:53 of total ice time per night.

Before the injury, Bedard held the top power-play role among all Chicago skaters, averaging 3:23 of power-play time per game. His underlying play grades 64 out of 100 among forwards based on shots, scoring chances and ice time, a measure of how sustainable his scoring is. Once activated, he returns to a lead offensive role, but managers cannot use him until that roster move is official.

What to do

• Keep Bedard on your bench until Chicago formally activates him from injured reserve.

• Monitor injury reports daily for news of his activation before the homestand ends.

• Once activated, return Bedard to your starting lineup for his remaining games this week.

Schedule this week